Broken Destiny
by Yoda1976
Summary: Xander is shot at 25 and finds out that things are not the way they are supposed to be, and he sets out to make things right, from the beginning. A Buffy/Xander romance.
1. Back to the Hellmouth

**AN: Standard disclaimers, I own nothing Buffy. Just playing in Joss's sandbox.**

**This is the result of a Plot Bunny that viciously attacked me and wouldn't let go until this chapter was done. For fans of the Immortal Principle I will be posting a new chapter soon. I have to work on my actual novel which this has distracted me from. I have a bit of a rant for the rest of this author's note, feel free to skip it and go onto the story. I just needed to vent.**

**This is a Buffy/Xander fic. I hope the rationale behind the story makes sense to everyone. Sorry Angel and Spike fans, I've never liked them as matches for Buffy because they are Vampires.(This is if I were her friend, for entertainment purposes they are both fun) They can't go out in the day, they can't get regular jobs, they can't do ANY of the things real couples do.**

**As for Xander, I'm not a huge fan of HIS love life either(again if I was Xander's friend) I mean the first time a woman showed interest in him it was a giant praying mantis, then a mummy, then Faith(Faith I wouldn't mind IF she had her head screwed on straight) then Anya. I like Anya's character, but she wasn't a good match for Xander. She was a thousand year old vengeance demon (which took away his right to tease Buffy about the age of HER boyfriends/ I'm depressed and need something). Their first date was her listing off all the atrocities she'd committed as a vengeance demon. Then she has sex with him which leads to their relationship which was based SOLELY on sex. Its no wonder he left her at the altar. There was NOTHING else they had in common other than Scooby activities.**

**Which brings me to poor Anya, she has NO human friends outside of the Scooby gang and they are all Xander's friends. After he leaves her at the altar do any of the Scooby gang hang out with her, ask her how she's doing? No, cause they tolerated her for Xander's sake, they weren't friends with her. So after Xander left, she had NO ONE. Is it any wonder she went back to being a demon? Its all she knew, her ENTIRE human existence was centered around Xander and the store. That isn't a life and if a born human was living life like that it would be concerning.**

**Anyway, sorry about the rant before the story. Now for the consideration and approval of , I humbly present Chapter One of Broken Destiny, Back to the Hellmouth. Please review.**

Back To The Hellmouth

Xander and Buffy walked along the streets of Cleveland, he had his arm around her and she was laying her head on his shoulder. They were walking in silence, both friends were beyond the need to fill silence with words. They both knew this was a hard day for her, the fifth anniversary of her mother's death and the first one Dawn wasn't around for. It started to snow a little as they walked back home.

"I wonder how many walls I'm going to have to fix when we get there," he said.

"We were only gone for three hours and Faith promised to keep the girls in line," Buffy said snuggling into his arm.

"Who do you think I'm worried about? You know how competitive she gets and if ANY of trainees giver her any grief... "

"She'll take it to the dojo, you know that," Buffy said.

"Yes, but the LAST time she was in there..."

"There was troll with her," Buffy said.

"Oh...I forgot that. Ok, Faith can keep the kiddos in line, until Mommy and Daddy come home," Xander said and was rewarded with a smile and a light punch on the shoulder.

"They don't call us that," she said.

"No, they don't verbalize but they think it, and seriously Buff none of these girls could do better for a Mom," Xander said. The trainee slayers living with them all came from broken homes or the streets. They did their best to keep the ones who had good families with their families. Which was why Dawn wasn't in town. She'd finally been assigned a Slayer and she needed to be with her. They arrived at the school and stood there for a bit.

"That's sweet, but I know who'd be better for them," Buffy said, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"I miss her too," Xander said hugging his friend.

"I really needed this tonight," she said as they embraced. They never saw the man approach.

"Give me all of your money!" a harsh voice said breaking the two friends apart.

"Oh...come on! Not tonight!" Buffy said her voice pitched up in annoyance.

"Come on! Give me!" the mugger said and just as Xander began to move against their assailant he produced a gun.

"Easy, buddy...we don't have much on us but its yours. No need to get crazy," Xander said slowly putting his hands up.

"Lady first," the mugger said totally misreading who was the more dangerous.

"At least he's a gentlemugger," Xander quipped.

"No jokes!" the mugger said pointing the gun at Xander.

"Calm down, it's just the way he deals with stress," Buffy said, opening her purse and slowly approaching him. Then a police siren sounded and the mugger flinched and the gun went off. Buffy flew into action kicking the gun away from the mugger and incapacitating him in a half a second.

"That'll teach you to play with...Xander!" Buffy screamed as she turned to see a red stain spreading over his shirt. His face looked blank as he sank to his knees. The Slayer ran to him fear in her eyes and stopped him from hitting the cold concrete. She opened his shirt and her mouth opened as she saw the entrance wound near his heart. She trembled and tried to force herself to think.

She soon became aware of a voice, "...that's right, the Joyce Summer's School for Girls...one victim, gunshot wound, hurry."

Buffy looked up to see the concerned face of her sister Slayer, the brunette was applying pressure to Xander's wound. It was like a nightmare for Buffy. She didn't know how long they were like that or when the ambulance arrived. They placed Xander on a gurney and took him to the ambulance.

"I'm going with him," she heard herself say.

"Are you his wife?" one of the paramedics asked.

"Uh..." Buffy said seemingly confused by the question.

"Yes, she is," Faith lied to the paramedic and turned to Buffy and said, "Go with him, B. He needs you, I'll keep an eye on the girls and call everyone."

Buffy hugged the other Slayer and got into the ambulance.

* * *

"What's going on?" Xander asked finding himself in a hospital.

"You're dying," a dark haired man said, he looked to be thirtysomething and the low end of that. He was dressed in jeans and wore a polo shirt.

"What happened?" Xander asked, strangely unsurprised by this news.

"You were shot by the mugger," he said simply.

"Is Buffy alright?" Xander asked suddenly concerned for his friend.

"Physically yes, emotionally, she's not doing real well," the man said, sounding sad.

"I need to see her," Xander said.

"Not a good idea, she's with your body. It's technically still alive, but that is only because of the machines. The doctors want to give you every chance, but they'll want to pull the plug in about twenty four hours," he said clinically.

"You've done this before, haven't you?" Xander said.

"My names is Azrieal. I'm the Angel of Death," Azrieal introduced himself.

"I still need to see her," Xander said.

"It'll just break your heart, son," the angel said.

"I know, but I can't not see her and be the man in death I wanted to be in life," Xander said.

"I thought you'd say that, but remember, I warned you. By the way, Faith brought the girls to the hospital and the rest of your family is coming. They'll be in time to say goodbye before your body gives out," Azrieal said as Xander started moving to the ICU room he was in.

Xander entered the room and heard soft sobbing. He saw Buffy next to the bed that held his body. She was holding his hand and crying softly. He came around the other side of the bed.

"Xander...please...come back...I love you and I need you here. Please...don't do this...don't die on me," she said through her tears.

"I would Buffy, if I could, but I don't think I've got any choice in this one," he said sadly his heart breaking at seeing his friend in such distress.

"I always thought I'd have more time to get ready, that you'd always be there when I was ready. If you come back to me I swear I won't wait anymore, I won't take this for granted and show you just how important you are to me," she said and paused and blew her nose as tears continued to fall.

She sniffled and continued, "I'd been thinking about this for sometime. About how you'd react when I finally came on the prowl for you. You're always confused in my daydreams, at first. Then you get the message and the first words out of your mouth is..." Buffy broke down again into crying.

Xander wept with her and finished what she was saying, "Whoever cast the love spell is on kitchen duty for a month." He ached to be able to hold her. Then he heard Azriel scream, "What?!"

He was torn he wanted to stay with Buffy but his curiosity at what the Angel was going on about. Finally he decided he'd have eternity to find out what had his wings in a bind, he didn't have that with Buffy.

"Buffy...I'm sooo sorry," Xander said.

"Live Xander, and I promise I will make every day one you're glad you lived," she said tears still flowing. She stood and Xander thought for a minute that she was leaving, but she just straightened the covers and leaned down and kissed him softly and the lips. "I love you, Xander. Never forget that."

"Buffy?" Xander heard another voice and looked up and saw a red faced Dawn. Buffy looked up and saw her sister and went over to her and hugged her tightly and both girls cried.

"How'd you get here?" Buffy asked.

"Willow, she and the coven have been teleporting everyone here. She'll be here soon," Dawn said through her tears.

"I'm glad you're here," Buffy said hugging her sister again.

"Me too, can I see him?" Dawn asked.

"Of course, I'm going to get myself a drink, I've been here since he got here," Buffy said and kissed her sister's cheek.

Buffy left Dawn with Xander and she went over to his bed and sat in the chair. She cried as she watched the machines breathe for him. She was quiet for a bit, then spoke. "You're going to get through this, Xander. I know you are because you've got so much to live for. She's ready, she hasn't said anything, but I'm her sister and I know she's ready. The way she talks about you in her letters I know I'm about to get a brother in law. So you get better and make my sister happy. That's an order, soldier!"

"Yes, Ma'am," Xander said to her and snapped off a sloppy salute that would've gotten him fifty push ups on any parade ground in the country.

"I love you, Xander," the younger Summers girl said and kissed his forehead.

"I already tried that, he isn't Sleeping Beauty," Buffy said holding two cups of coffee.

"Bet yours was better than mine," Dawn said with a sad smile.

"Not good enough," Buffy said sadly. "I don't know what I'm going to do without him, Dawnie!" The senior slayer broke down again and Dawn held her sister and both girls cried.

Xander cried watching Buffy break down, and wanted to leave, but he just couldn't. This was the last thing he could do for her and he would see it through, no matter how much it hurt. He moved over to the crying women and put his arms around them and was surprised that he didn't go through them, and he held them.

* * *

Buffy and Dawn were evicted from his room shortly after that and Xander followed them out. He stopped in front of Azriel who looked like he was sucking on a particularly sour lemon.

"How come..." Xander said trailing off his emotions rising again.

"You needed it as much as they did," the angel said simply

"Did they..." Xander broke off and sobbed then began again, " Did they know?"

"Yes, on some level and it will be a comfort to them," Azriel said.

"Good," Xander said.

"Now we need to talk," Azriel said, sounding serious.

"That's ominous coming from the Angel of Death," Xander said crossing his arms.

"We've been made aware of an atrocity," the angel said.

"Really and that has what to do with me?" Xander asked.

"Only everything. They win as things stand," the Angel said.

"What do you mean they win?" Xander asked.

"This world will be sent to Hell on April 22, 2024 at five thirty in the afternoon, Greenwich Mean Time."

"So what do we need to do to stop it?" Xander asked suddenly all business.

"We can't, not directly anyway. However knowing about it has revealed that the other side broke the rules and that gives an opportunity," the Angel said and turned and started walking toward a light that was suddenly there.

"I'm not ready yet," Xander said.

"Come with me, you need to hear this and you also need to make a decision, if you want I'll bring you back to say goodbye after we tell you about this," the Angel said.

"What are you talking about?" Xander asked.

"This apocalypse was supposed to be stopped. Only the ones that stopped it were never born," the Angel said.

"So someone pulled off a successful Terminator on them?" Xander asked.

"Yes, actually, the other side killed their father," the angel said. and Xander's jaw dropped.

* * *

"Wow...no wonder Buffy never talked about this place, it's really nice," Xander said as they arrived in Heaven.

"You're getting a dumbed down version, just in case you say yes. We don't need you suicidal," Azriel said.

"So my children were supposed to save the world?" Xander asked.

"Yes, they went into the family business you could say. Would you like to meet them?"

"But I thought..." Xander said trailing off.

"Time has no meaning here, Xander," Azriel said.

"Ok, sure, I guess," Xander said.

The angel led him over to the Gates and they opened and a young man and woman stepped out of them. The girl was about Dawn's height but other than that didn't really look like her. The young man was tall and broad in the shoulder, he looked like he worked out a lot.

"Xander, this is Tara Joyce and Jessie Riley Harris," the angel introduced.

"My kids?" Xander whispered and slowly approached them.

"Hi, Dad," Jessie said and went to him and hugged his father.

"Hey, don't hog him, brother!" Tara said and hugged her father as he cried.

"How old are you two?" Xander asked.

"We're appearing at the age we were on April 22, 2024. Tara's eighteen, I'm sixteen," Jessie said.

"Except because of that mugger you won't be there," Xander said.

"It hasn't been finalized yet, but its looking like it," Tara said.

"What do you mean hasn't been finalized yet?" Xander asked looking at his children and paused at Tara's face and closed his eyes as he realized who their mother was. "When is your birthday, Tara?"

"November 22nd, 2006," she answered with a smirk.

"You've told us this story a lot, but suffice it to say that you really helped Mom through the fifth anniversary of Grandma's death. She says it was because Aunt Dawn wasn't around to talk sense into her, but we all know that even Aunt Faith wasn't going to keep her off you that night," Jessie said with a smirk that made Xander think he was looking in a mirror for a moment.

"So we tell our kids all about our sex lives?" Xander asked.

"Oh...ewww...no...but when one wants to know about the circumstances behind their birth, there are some details that can't be avoided," Tara said.

"Just my luck," Xander said, sounding a bit angry.

"That's what we need to talk about," Azriel said seriously. "Kids, go get your grandmother she needs to be here when I tell your father what we found out."

"Sure, Az," Jessie said and the two siblings left.

Xander's lips turned up into a small smile as he watched the kids...his kids...Buffy's kids...his and Buffy's kids.

"They aren't goats, silly," a painfully familiar voice said.

"Buffy?" Xander choked out.

"Relax, remember time has no meaning here?" Buffy said and hugged him tight.

"Our children?" he said.

"Yup, I just stopped to say hi, I suspect you'll be seeing me soon enough," she said and left.

"Stubborn woman," Azriel said.

"What?" Xander asked.

"She wasn't supposed to stop by," Azriel said.

"Since when does she ever do what she's supposed to do?" Xander asked.

"Most of the time actually, but not when it comes to you," Azriel said.

Xander turned back to the Gate as his kids came back, with Joyce Summers. Xander's breath caught when he saw her.

"Hello, Xander. How do you like my grandchildren?" she asked.

"They're great, Joyce. We've missed you," he said hugging her.

"I know," she said.

"Ok, now that everyone's here we need to get started," Azriel said.

"What is going on?"

"Well, simply put, someone or something has been ripping your Destiny apart," Azriel said.

"What do you mean?" Xander asked.

"You were supposed to fall in love with Buffy in high school," Joyce said.

"I did," Xander said, confused.

"Yes, you got your part right, but she didn't. She was supposed to fall in love with you too," Joyce said.

"Huh?"

"We only uncovered this after you were shot, but something has been conspiring to keep you and Buffy apart," Azriel said.

"Conspiring to keep us apart?" Xander asked looking back and forth between Joyce and Azriel.

"Yes. Angel was never supposed to be in Sunnydale when Buffy moved there. Whistler was fed bad information," Azriel said, sitting on a cloud.

"Whistler?" Xander asked.

"You never met him, he's a Balance demon. He showed Angel what his life could be and showed him Buffy, and the boy fell HARD," Azriel said.

"Don't remind me, I lived every miserable moment," Xander said, trying not to sound bitter.

"But what you didn't know, and what HE still doesn't know, is it wasn't love. At least not the kind that happy ever after is made of," Azriel said.

"Yeah, Uncle Angel took the news of your and Mom's engagement kinda hard. I guess he went on about cookies for an hour when he found out," Tara said.

"Off topic," Azriel said.

"Ok, go on, Angel wasn't supposed to be there? How were we supposed to find out about the Harvest if he doesn't do his cryptic thing?" Xander asked.

"Luke and Buffy's dreams; none of his warnings were needed, they gave you a bit of a head start, but not needed. Which brings us to the crux of the matter, someone maneuvered him there to keep Buffy from noticing you."

"But what about after he left?" Xander asked.

"After he left she was healing and wasn't ready, neither were you, honestly. You and Cordelia dated, the Fluke happened, and she broke up with you, just so the bastard could get you a more tempting morsel" Jessie said.

"Anya," Xander said, looking down in shame.

"Yes, however it wouldn't have been enough so they had to do one more thing. Parker," Joyce said.

"Parker, what does he have to do with it?"

"You remember the first time you saw Buffy after you got back to town after graduation?" Azriel asked.

"Yeah, Buffy was down, I cheered her up. It's what I do," Xander said.

"Yes, and she was about to think about giving you a shot until she saw Parker," Azriel said.

"That does just SO much for my self esteem," Xander said, bitterly.

"It would've been weeks or months before it became a conscious thought, but it would've happened if he hadn't...used her," Joyce said, sounding angry.

"And by the time she recovered from that to start thinking about romance again you were busy with Anya," Azriel said.

"Then I left her at the altar," Xander said.

"Yes, not a good situation, but it was one that should have never came up because she was never supposed to become human again," Joyce said, soothingly.

"What do you mean?" Xander asked.

"You were the only thing that made her happy in this world, Xander. She wasn't meant to live in the world as a human. And if it wasn't for the first interference by sending Angel to Sunnydale, it wouldn't have happened," Joyce said.

"Why not?"

"Because you and Buffy would've been dating and the Fluke would've never happened, then Cordy wouldn't have made that wish hence...no human Anya," Azriel said.

"Who is this that's been messing with my life?"

"Lucifer," Azriel said.

"Lucifer? You mean the DEVIL takes a personal interest in my love life?" Xander shouted paling.

"Yes, and it was a brilliant move, it took out ten of our champions with us being none the wiser," Azriel said.

"How?" Xander asked.

"Your kids, Faith and Riley's kids and your grandkids," Joyce said.

"I need a drink," Xander said.

"Anyway, this gives us an opportunity," Azriel continued.

"What kind of opportunity?" Xander asked.

"Normally we can't violate time on Earth, but the other side did it which allows us to do so as well," Azriel said.

"You mean they used knowledge of the future to fuck up Buffy's life, made her miserable?" Xander asked, anger building in his voice.

"Yes," Azriel said.

"What do I have to do?" Xander asked.

"Understand that you don't have to do this, you have a place in Heaven waiting," Azriel said.

"Yes, but what good is that if..." he choked up at the memories of Buffy grieving over his broken body. Pleading that he come back.

"You go and take care of my girls like you always have, Xander. Please," Joyce said hugging him.

"Joyce, this has to be his choice," Azriel warned.

"She's right, I have no choice. Someone or something messed with my life and it needs an ass kicking and I no no one better to deliver it than Buffy," he said.

"It won't be easy," Azriel said.

"Just get me back to my body, make sure I live and I'll handle the rest," Xander said.

"Very well," the angel said and touched Xander's forehead.

* * *

Xander woke up and rubbed his eyes, when he woke he found himself in very familiar surroundings. He shook his head and looked at his clock, it read six am. He got out of bed, the same bed he spent high school sleeping in, when he actually slept here.

"What is going on? I was kind of expecting to wake up in lots of pain with two beautiful women shedding tears of joy!" Xander shouted to the ceiling.

He then sighed and knowing this room and this house was at the bottom of a crater in his time set out to find out today's date. He went downstairs to find his parents passed out on the couch. He shook his head at the pitiful sight, the fact that this no longer seemed normal to him didn't quite register. He went outside and found a paper and looked at the date. Sunday, March 9th, 1997. He gasped, he knew that date, or rather tomorrow's date, all too well. Buffy would start at Sunnydale tomorrow. A smile crept up on his face. She'd be glad he was alright...then the smile collapsed, no she wouldn't. That night hadn't happened yet, nor had the previous nine years. She wouldn't know him. Giles wouldn't know him, Willow wouldn't...ok Willow would know him but it wouldn't be HIS Willow. She wouldn't be the girl he talked out of destroying the world. However now that he thought about it that wouldn't be a bad thing.

It was Sunday so he didn't have school, but that didn't mean he didn't have things to do. He started walking to clear his head. He thought about what Azriel said. If they sent him HERE there had to be a reason for it. So he put on his metaphorical Watcher's hat and made a mental list of what he knew. First, Lucifer had taken an interest in his life if for no other reason than his kids threw a major monkey wrench in his plans. He closed his eyes as he thought about them and swore that he'd do whatever it took to ensure they had a chance to live.

Second and related to his kids was that he and Buffy were destined to be together. This was a bittersweet thought because in the here and now she didn't know he existed, and that was literally. They wouldn't meet until tomorrow at school, and though his memory was fuzzy about it he didn't think she would be overly pleased if he confessed all to her right away. He still remembered the conversation he'd overheard in the library that day. She really wanted to be done with it at the moment.

Third, and also related to Buffy not knowing he existed was that none of the people he'd have gone to for help would know him either. Which meant that he had no one to talk to or bounce ideas off of. He hung his head, he was a scooby without a gang. He shook his head to clear it and realized where he was.

"Ah, crap," he said as he looked at Buffy's house. This was the last place he needed to be. He didn't know if he'd be able to control himself if he saw either one of them. He turned to go when he heard a voice.

"Hello, young man?" a woman's voice said, and he winced. He knew that voice having just heard it a hour ago in Heaven. He turned and saw Joyce she had a box in her arms, obviously moving in.

"Yes?" he said, his voice cracking with emotion.

"Do you have time to help us pack some stuff in, it's just me and my daughter and we could use another set of arms. I'd pay you of course," she said.

"I'd be happy to help, but don't worry about paying me," Xander said speaking before he really thought about.

"You're sweet, I hope everyone at Buffy's new school is as nice as you," Joyce said smiling.

"There's two or three of us, Mrs…." Xander said stopping himself just before letting out that he knew her name.

"Summers, Joyce Summers," she said.

"Xander Harris. I'd shake hands but you've got your hands full," he said kicking himself for letting himself get roped into this before he really had a plan for dealing with Buffy.

"Nice to meet you, there's plenty in the U Haul," Joyce said.

"Right," Xander said glad for the interruption of the conversation. Buffy would kill to see her mother again and he felt a little guilty at being able to.

He went into the U-Haul and picked up a box and was shocked at how heavy it felt. He tried again and frowned, it couldn't weigh more than twenty five pounds and he routinely moved that much every day. Then he looked at his arms and was dismayed at how thin they were. He sighed.

"I guess chasing after sugar hyped mini Slayers is better exercise than I thought," he muttered.

"Excuse me?" he heard Buffy say, and it was all he could do to stop himself from greeting her by name.

"Hi, my names Xander, I was passing by and your mother asked me to help bring in boxes," Xander said.

She smiled, the same smile that always melted his heart every time he saw it, yet she looked impossibly young. There were mini Slayers her age back home...a home he would have to get back to the hard way.

"She really didn't have to, we've really got it," Buffy said picking up the box that just so recently defeated Xander, apparently she hadn't seen him struggle with it.

"Careful with that one, its a bit heavy," he said, unable to resist teasing her, even if she wasn't aware of the joke.

She then suddenly and intentionally almost lost it when she realized he'd already tried lifting it.

Instinctively Xander put his hands out to catch the box and his hands came into contact with hers. Buffy looked a bit flustered at the contact as he took over the Box from Hell, and she took something more his speed. They walked into the house.

"Where does this go?" Xander asked.

"Hmmm...not sure," Buffy said and started looking around the box for any identifying marks.

"Rats...it must be next to you," she said and Xander carefully turned the box around until Buffy brightened.

"Ah...kitchen," she said.

"So what do you have in here? Your own caveman to start fires?" Xander asked.

Buffy laughed, "Go, you do a good job and there MIGHT be cookies in it for you."

"Cookies?" Xander said eagerly and started moving toward the kitchen.

They spent four hours empting the truck and Xander was surprised how quickly Buffy became comfortable around him and he could also see a calculating look cross Joyce's face as she watch them interact. Once they were done Joyce drove the U Haul back to the rental center leaving Buffy and Xander alone at the house. Xander debated about telling her the truth, but decided against it for right now.

"Cookies as promised," she said as she sat a plate before him with a glass of milk.

"Thank you," he said and took a bite out of the cookie and closed his eyes. "Chips ahoy, a cold glass of milk and a beautiful girl...I can now die happy."

Buffy chuckled and said, "Thanks for helping, you didn't have to and it made it go faster."

"Ah...what are friends for," Xander said simply.

"I like the sound of that," Buffy said and smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "You're sweet."

Xander smiled and felt himself blush, "Seriously, I didn't mind."

He looked at the clock in the kitchen and saw it was after five. He sighed, " I better go, I do have a couple of things to do today besides play white knight."

"Oh," she said sounding disappointed, and continued, "I was hoping you might stay for dinner. My mom's is an excellent cook, though tonight it might be fast food." She winced at the last.

"I'd love to stay, but I really can't tonight, but soon," he said with a smile.

"Will I see you at school?" she asked.

"Count on it," he said and took her hand brushing his lips on it causing her to blush. Damn it why couldn't have been this easy the first time around. He smiled and left Buffy's house.

* * *

An hour later Xander arrived at his destination after a stop at the butcher's shop for a preemptive peace offering. He figured that who he was seeking would be up for the night. He found the door to the apartment and knocked, hoping he wasn't already out. He was about to give up when Angel opened the door with a stake in hand.

Xander put his hands up, "I come in peace!"

"Who are you and what do you want?" Angel asked.

"My name is Xander Harris and you don't know me yet, but I come bearing information, and blood," Xander said, holding up a brown butchers bag.

"Blood?" Angel said skeptically.

"I know you are a vampire, and I know about the curse, so are we going to stand here like idiots or are you going to let me come in so we can chat?"

"Who sent you?" Angel asked suddenly suspicious.

"The Powers that Be, God...who knows, but I've got a story to tell you and it is in both of our interests for you to hear me out," Xander said.

"Come in," he said standing aside.

"Thank you. Here's your blood, consider it a preemptive peace offering 'cause you aren't going to like a lot of what I have to say, but you need to hear it," Xander said handing him the brown paper bag.

"Ok, say what you have to say."

"First let me tell you that I'm from the future. I know you in the future and to establish my bona fides let me start by telling you about you," Xander began.

"Ok, I'm listening," Angel said.

"Thank you, Frasier," Xander quipped, hoping the show was actually on the air.

"Funny, now talk," Angel said, sounding annoyed.

"First you're here because of a balance demon named Whistler. He told you that you were meant to do good and help people. That part he did get right, but he was mistaken about one important piece of information. You aren't supposed to help the Slayer," Xander said.

"I'm not, and who's going to stop me? You?" Angel asked.

"Nope, as I said you're needed, just not here and not now. Buffy is going to be just fine without your mystery man routine. In fact she'll be much happier without it," Xander said.

"What is this about?" Angel asked.

"It's about your quest for redemption, her happiness and the lives of countless people who aren't going to die again, not on my watch," Xander said fiercely.

"You better watch your tone, boy. You have no idea what you are messing with," Angel said, sounding dangerous.

Xander laughed, "If only that were so. I live on a Hellmouth so cut the act, Angel. Both of us know you aren't going to hurt me, so chill. I'm doing this for your own good as surprising as that is," Xander said.

"Really, and how do you know what's best for me?" Angel asked.

"Cause I've been around this block before, remember. The gypsies cursed you with a soul Angel, but no one ever told you about the loophole," Xander said.

"Loophole?" Angel asked.

"Yes, one moment of pure happiness and that soul you're so proud of takes an extended vacation and you KNOW what that means," Xander said, seriously.

Angel paled even more than he was naturally, "That is NOT a joking matter, boy."

"Do I look like I'm joking? And stop calling me boy, I'm twenty-five years old, or at least I was when I died," Xander said.

"Died?" Angel asked.

"Remember the future, maybe the gypsies should've cursed you with a memory," Xander said unable to resist ribbing him.

"Very funny," Angel groused, standing up.

"Long story short, I was walking home with Buffy and we were mugged, the mugger got spooked and fired off a shot that I happened to be in the way of. Then Azriel came for me and told me that my whole life wasn't like it was supposed to be," Xander said.

"You were walking home with Buffy? You live together in the future?" Angel asked, sounding a bit jealous.

"Well, yes...but not that way, at least not when I died. It's a school for Slayers and we train them to make the most of their power," Xander said, picking up on the vampires tone and not really wanting to start a fight.

"There can only be one Slayer at a time," Angel said.

"A lot can change in nine years," Xander said, sighing.

"I assume that if you know about this loophole that it happened?" Angel asked, apparently missing that Buffy was a twenty-five year old Slayer.

"Yes, and it was the second worst year of my life," Xander said.

"How?" Angel asked.

"Buffy," Xander said without emotion.

"We were in love?"

"She was. I think you thought you were, but you left her too easily for it to be the real thing," Xander said.

"Who are you to know what I felt...will feel?" Angel asked, sitting down again, his tone low.

"Just calling it as I see it. I don't doubt you cared for her, but I don't think it was real love. Not the kind that lasts and if you'd think about it you know any relationship with a human you have is probably doomed," Xander said.

"What did he do?" Angel asked.

Xander leaned back and sighed, "Lots of death, Angelus trying to end the world, Buffy being forced to send you to hell to stop it."

"So what do you think I should do?" Angel asked.

"Leave town, she doesn't need your information at best you only gave us a few hours heads up which was never critical," Xander said.

"So I'll be more careful, not let her love me," he said softly.

"You're smarter than that, gumshoe. You can't control how she feels anymore than I can. Nor should you want to," Xander said.

"Gumshoe?" Angel asked.

"When you finally come to your senses and leave you go to LA and become a PI, making a living helping the helpless," Xander said.

Angel nodded, " What about the Harvest?"

"Buffy wins, like she always does," Xander said with a smile.

"You love her," Angel said.

"She's a hard person not to love, and I won't lie there's a part of me that leaping for joy at the thought you won't be around, but not for the reasons my seventeen year old self would be. I SAW how much you hurt her Angel and there's a part of me that wants to dust you just for the amount of pain you caused her," Xander said sighing, "However over the years I've come to respect what you are doing in L.A. You're helping people and doing good. Which is why once you get settled we need contact information."

"You aren't wanting to cut me out completely?" Angel asked surprised.

"Not if you're serious about redeption and not just doing this to get into a pretty girls pants," Xander said.

"Redemption? Seems like it would be impossible for someone like me," Angel said.

"So you're just doing this to get in her pants?" Xander asked though he thought he knew the real answer.

"No...I thought it would be nice to try to love her while redeeming myself, but not at the price of my soul,"

"We're on the same side, Angel. We don't really like each other, but as I said before I respect you, and I'd like to think the feeling is mutual," Xander said.

"Ok...I'll leave tonight; I don't know if I believe you or not, but I can't risk that monster getting out," Angel said.

"Ok…" Xander said, letting out his breath now that the tough part was over, maybe, "Now I need some advice," Xander asked.

"Really?" Angel asked sounding surprised.

"Yeah, it shocks me too, Deadboy, but so far you're the only one I've told about my situation, 'cause quite frankly I don't think I had much choice but to tell you what I know to get what needs to happen for everyone's sakes. Where I'm having difficulty is should I tell anyone else?"

"That isn't an easy question. If you do tell anyone, they may think you're crazy, or worse like you have all the answers," Angel said.

"Yeah, but at the sametime I need a sounding board. It's how we always solved our problems, a Scooby can't be a lone wolf. Each of us has tried it and it never works," Xander said sighing.

"Scooby?" Angel questioned.

"It's what we end up calling ourselves cause we fight monsters," Xander said.

"Ah...Anyway, about your problem I don't have any epiphanies to share with you, but I think you will need someone to talk to. If you are telling the truth it will be a heavy burden to bear, especially the first time you fail to save someone you thought you could," Angel said.

"That's kind of what I thought, fortunately, I have a candidate in mind," Xander said.

"Buffy?" Angel asked.

"Tempting, but no, Giles," Xander said.

"Giles?" Angel asked.

"Buffy's watcher," Xander said.

"Ah...can't tell you what to do, but I think that would be the best of a lot of bad options."

"Isn't that what life is? Picking the least bad of our options?" Xander asked.

"A bit young to be that cynical aren't you?" Angel asked.

"You go through nine years of being a sex object of demons and unrequited love and leaving an ex demon at the altar and see how cynical you are," Xander deadpanned.

"I think I believe you," Angel said suddenly.

"Why?"

"No one could make up that sentence without having suffered through all of its implied pain," Angel said.

"Are we bonding?" Xander asked.

"Maybe," Angel said and both the young man and the vampire shuddered at the thought.

"Weird day," Xander said.

"Yes," Angel said.

"I better go, I have to get up early tomorrow for school," Xander said.

"Give me your number and I'll be in touch with contact information," Angel said.

"Just send a business card to the Sunnydale High School Library, care of Rupert Giles."

* * *

Xander soon found himself home and based on the quiet, the two people the law recognized as his parents were already passed out. He saw his backpack and opened it up he found math homework still not finished, he took a look at it and before he realized it, it was finished.

"Huh….when did I get good at doing this?" he asked himself then he remembered long hours helping mini slayers with their math homework back home. He smiled at the memories yet to come and shook his head. He looked at his clock and saw it was midnight and turned in, setting it for six.

Morning came far too soon and Xander showered and dressed and was out of the house by six thirty. He spent the entire walk to school trying to remember his class schedule but for the life of him he just couldn't. 'Great, I'm going to have to get a copy which will earn me weird looks,' he thought to himself. He stopped by the coffee shop for breakfast spending his last five dollars, though how he HAD five dollars was a pleasant mystery. He sighed and thought about what to say to Giles. Somehow saying "Hey G man, how's the watching business oh by the way I'm from the future,' would work, but he couldn't come up with anything else LESS lame.

He frowned as he sipped his coffee, and then finished off the donut. He reached into his pocket to get his phone to check the time and winced when he realized it was nine years in the future in a Cleveland hospital. He closed his eyes in remembered pain at seeing Buffy and Dawn crying over him. He was really glad Azriel sent him back before Willow had shown up, seeing all three of his girls crying over him would've been too much.

"You look like someone ran over your puppy," a familiar voice said, he looked up and Buffy was looking at him.

"Someone did," he deadpanned.

"Oh my god...I'm so sorry," she rushed to say blushing.

He tried to keep a straight face but he couldn't and a snort of laughter escaped, "Sorry, I was teasing. Just woolgathering."

She hit him lightly on the shoulder, "You...you really had me there. So does this place have good coffee?"

"Yes, what are you doing here? Not that I mind," Xander asked.

"Caffeine, Mom's waiting in the car," she said.

"Ok, I'll see you at school then," he said.

"We...we could give you a lift, if you'd like," she said, suddenly sounding unsure and Xander found himself in very unfamiliar territory. Buffy was coming on to him and looked afraid.

"Ummm...sure, if you're sure your Mom wouldn't mind," he said, not having to fake sounding nervous.

"Great! I'll just go get my and Mom's coffee and we'll go," she said flashing the smile that always melted his heart, even when he was pissed at her for doing something stupid.

Once Buffy had the coffee they went to Joyce's Jeep and Xander opened the door for her and caught Joyce's approving smile.

"Good morning, Xander," she said cheerfully as Buffy handed her her coffee.

"I offered to give Xander a ride to school, Mom," Buffy said, sounding more like herself.

"Mornin', Mrs. Summers. Thank you for indulging in your daughter's request to play chauffeur for me," Xander said as he got into the backseat with his pack.

"It's a pleasure, I just hope Buffy makes more friends like you," Joyce said, smiling as she pulled out.

"Mom!" Buffy complained.

"She's going to be fine, Mrs. Summers. In fact I think her and Willow are going to be best friends," Xander said with a grin.

"Who's Willow? Your girlfriend?" Buffy asked, again sounding unsure.

"Well, she is a girl and she is my friend, but we aren't dating," Xander said deciding against teasing Buffy some more.

"Oh...good!" Buffy said brightening.

"I'm serious, you two are going to be best friends," he said smiling.

Buffy just smiled at him and Xander caught yet another appraising look from Joyce and he started feeling like a ribeye.

They arrived at school shortly after that, and Xander and Buffy got out but Joyce called her back and whispered something to her and a shadow crossed her face.

"What was that about?" he asked.

"Nothing, just Mom stuff," she said, frowning.

"Ok, but if you ever want to talk, my ears aren't this large for no reason," he said eliciting a smile from Buffy.

"Thank you, I'll keep that in mind," she said as they walked into the school.

"I'll meet you at the office, I need to ask Willow to look over my math homework. Then I'll take you to the library to help you get your books," Xander said.

"That'll be nice," she said.

"Don't think this is me being honorable, I just need to thank you for that outfit. Dressed to slay," he said with a grin as she blushed.

"Flattery...might get you somewhere," she said with a smile.

"You look nice, seriously," he said with a smile and then saw Willow. "The office is right there, I'll be there shortly."

"Thank you," Buffy said, sounding grateful.

Xander ran to catch up with Willow and had to call out, "Hey Willow!"

"Hi Xander, how was your weekend?" the redhead asked.

"Surreal," he said.

"What happened?" she asked sounding concerned.

"You'll see when you look at my math homework. I think I understood it," Xander said.

Willow lit up, "Really? That's great!"

Then Xander heard another voice, one he hadn't heard in nine years, " Hey bro! Did my eyes deceive me or were you getting out of the same vehicle as the hot new girl?"

Xander stared and paled, "Jesse." Xander wanted to cry and take the other boy in a hug, a manly bro type hug, but a hug nevertheless.

"Are you ok, Xander? You look like you've seen a ghost," Willow asked, now really sounding concerned.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, just deja vu," he lied. "Yeah, buddy. I was taking a walk yesterday and her Mom shanghaied me into helping them empty the U Haul, then we bumped into each other at the coffee shop," Xander said.

"So talk!" Jessie said.

"Not right now, I promised her I'd help her get started, books and things, but both of you can meet her at lunch, you'll love her, I promise," Xander said, his mood lightening.

"See you in class," Willow said, sounding wistful.

Xander fought not to turn around and comfort his friend, he wouldn't have noticed it when he was sixteen, but it still tore at him to know she was in pain because of him, even if it worked out in the end.

He went into the office and asked for a copy of his schedule and got the weird look he was expecting when he saw Buffy come out of the Principal's office.

"I see you survived the Dungeon?" Xander said.

"Not really very dungeony in there. Mr. Flutie reminds me of a Mr. Rogers on anxiety meds, but I think he means well," Buffy said.

Xander nearly slapped himself, how could he forget that? He stammered a bit and said, "Yes, but it's not the current inhabitant that makes it a dungeon."

They walked to the library and entered the familiar space. The last time Xander had seen it it had been filled with fertilizer to blow up the Mayor. He shook his head a bit and led Buffy to the counter.

"Giles should be around here somewhere, he can help you get your books," Xander said.

"Thank you, you've been really, really sweet and it's really made my day," she said and kissed his cheek.

"Don't worry about it, like I said yesterday, what are friends for?" Xander said, blushing.

"Miss Summers?" a voice with a British accent said.

"That's me, you were expecting me?" Buffy asked.

"Buffy, of course he was expecting you, how many new students does March see?" Xander said, drawing attention to himself.

"Uh...quite right, so what is it that you need?" he asked, noticing his charge wasn't alone as he hoped.

"Here's my list," she said said handing it to him and he set off to gather what she needed.

"Now we wait while librarian man goes and saves us from ignorance and fun having," Xander said.

"Don't you have a class to go too?" she asked, smiling.

"Actually," he stole a look at his schedule, " I have a free period right now." He was surprised that he actually DID have a free period. "So I was hoping for the opportunity to carry your books for you."

"You haven't earned that privilege…" she began and waited for the beginnings of the look of disappointment on his face to form then added, "Yet." Then smiled at him..

Xander smiled back, his heart going a million miles an hour, a feeling he was quite familiar with when it came to Buffy.

"I shall endeavour to become worthy of being your pack mule," he said grinning.

Once Buffy got her books they left the library and Buffy was smiling. Xander went about his day and then lunch arrived and he soon found Willow and Buffy talking in the courtyard. He hopped the wall and sat on it with his feet on the bench.

"So this is the new girl?" Jessie asked.

"Yes, and she has a name, Buffy Summers, Jessie McNally, best friend. Jessie, this is Buffy Summers, new girl."

"Nice to meet you, Jessie," Buffy said smiling.

"Buffy, this is Willow Rosenberg, also best friend and smarter than any five people in this sorry place put together," Xander said eliciting a blush and a smile from Willow.

"Nice to be formally introduced," Willow said still glowing at Xander's praise.

"Ditto," Buffy said.

Then Cordelia came up and asked, "Are these losers bothering you?"

"Oh we aren't hanging out with her," Willow started to say but Xander rolled his eyes.

"Yes, Willow we are. Buffy can pick her own friends just fine without Cordelia Chase's approval or permission," Xander said, keeping his voice flippant. She'd died in LA just the year before he was shot and the news had hit him harder than he thought it would. Yet, he needed to stay in type.

"Only if she wants to have a social life, Harris," Cordelia said.

"Funny, we were just being all kinds of sociable, until you showed up," Xander sniped back, surprised that it was this easy. I guess sniping at Cordy was one of those things you never forgot how to do, he thought to himself.

"Oh really, and are you going to take her home so your drunk deadbeat father can ineptly make a pass at her?" Cordelia said bringing out the long knives.

"Now that was uncalled for," Xander said dangerously, hurt. The last time she had been that mean was after the Fluke.

"Just the truth, just thought you'd like to know gym was canceled, I leave you to the black hole that will be your social life," Cordelia said walking away.

"I'm sorry Xander," Buffy said looking up at him.

"First time she ever threw that in my face, I must have really pissed her off."

"Jesse, why are you even trying with her when she says stuff like that?" Willow asked.

"Because Willow, Jesse can see the pure heart of goodness that is hidden in the Ice Queen's chest," Xander said, defending his friend.

"I wonder why gym was canceled?" Buffy asked.

"I dunno, but who's up for the Bronze tonight?"

* * *

Xander went into the Library to find Giles. As he got to the door he heard Buffy and him talking about her calling as the Slayer. He remembered the first time he'd heard this and heard the pain and longing in her voice to be able to lay it aside and not being able to because she was a hero and couldn't stand by. He closed his eyes and longed to hold her and take away her pain, but that wouldn't be possible today. He hung back and she stormed out of the library.

Xander then entered and sighed. Giles was still there looking annoyed. Xander cleared his throat.

"Yes, can I help you?" Giles asked.

"She gets better," he said, dropping all pretense of being a sixteen year old boy.

"What?" Giles said.

"I said she gets better. She steps up and deals with it. She always does and she always will," Xander said.

"Who are you?" Giles asked charging toward him.

"Xander Harris, sophomore at Sunnydale High currently. Two days ago and nine years in the future I was best friends with the Slayer, until I died." he said.

"Excuse me?"

"I need help, Giles. I'm scared and I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be doing, all Azriel told me was something is messing with my destiny and it's making things wrong. I've done one thing that can only help, but I'm not sure of what my next actions need to be," Xander said.

"Azriel? The Angel of Death?" Giles said.

"Yup, though I didn't know that until a mugger shot me, which tell me about ironic, I fight vampires and hell gods and the First Evil itself and only lose an eye in the process, but a desperate scared guy with a gun does me in," Xander said.

"What are you talking about?" Giles asked.

"I suppose I better start at the beginning, huh?" Xander said.

"I think that would help," Giles said.

"Well, it started about seven minutes ago for you, for me it's been nine years, I was sixteen and standing in the stacks back there, not even sure why I was there but now I think it was Providence…." Xander began. It took him fifteen minutes to lay out the last nine years to Giles, and then focusing on a bare bones description of his death.. The Watcher listened with rapt attention never interrupting Xander's tale until the end.

"And Miss Summers is still alive?" Giles asked, wonder in his voice.

"Yes, and do I need to tell you how WEIRD it is to hear you call her that?"

"I supposed it must be as weird an experience for you as this whole conversation has been for me," Giles said in a flippant tone.

"Touché," Xander said throwing a salute to the Watcher.

"So far you've kept to a factual accounting of what happened, but you haven't hit on the why yet," Giles said.

Xander winced, "I was hoping you'd miss that part as you are more her father than Hank has any right to claim."

"Are you two...involved?" Giles asked.

"No, if we were we wouldn't be having this conversation. There's going to be an Apocalypse in the future, future even for me. My and Buffy's children were supposed to be instrumental in stopping it, but they were never born," he said his voice low.

"I'm sorry," Giles said, wincing and misunderstanding WHY they were never born.

"Anyway, I need someone that I can talk to, which is why I decided to tell you," Xander said.

"I appreciate the vote of confidence," the older man said.

"Yeah, well there are going to be some strings to this, first Travers knows NOTHING of this. Second that stupid test on Buffy's 18th birthday isn't going to happen. You almost lost her in that fiasco and it took a long time for her to trust you again, I won't watch it happen again," Xander said, his tone low.

"I see…" Giles said, sounding like he was really believing this for the first time.

"I know I'm being a hardass here, Giles, but I don't want her hurt by anyone, least of all you. She loves you like a father and it really hurt her," Xander said.

"I feel as if I owe you an apology," Giles said.

"Nope, you haven't done it yet, and even if you had, it isn't me you'd need to apologize to," Xander said.

"So what are your plans?" Giles asked.

"So far, do what I did the first time, be there for her through thick and thin," Xander said.

* * *

That night Xander, Buffy, Willow and Jesse met at the Bronze.

"So this is the Bronze?" Buffy asked.

"Yes, it's not much, but it's not school," Xander said causing the group to chuckle.

"Thanks for inviting me. I think my Mom wanted me to stay in tonight until I said I was going with you. I think she likes you," Buffy said to Xander smiling.

"Sigh...it's a curse. I promise to let her down easy but I have my eye on someone else," Xander said, trying not to wince as Willow's face fell. He was glad that Buffy wasn't looking at her. Buffy just became radiant.

"There's Cordelia," Jesse said before Buffy could say anymore and started over to her but Xander caught his arm and swung him back around.

"Sorry buddy, but I can't let you flame out yet again. You need to take a break from trying to impress her," Xander said, seriously.

"Is this about what she said this afternoon?" Jesse asked, sympathically.

"Partly, but it's mostly about you Jess. I just hate to see you bang your head against a concrete wall all the time. She's either going to see you as someone worth attention or she's not, at this point you've made your case, she knows you are into her. It's time for her to make a move."

Xander realized that the girls were at the bar talking. So he gave his full attention to his friend. His very alive and not dusty friend, and he was determined to keep it that way, which was why he made sure to be armed tonight. Being Buffy's demonstration dummy back home had additional benefits beyond being pawed by his favorite slayer.

"I'll be back," he heard Buffy say to Willow.

"Anyway, just play the field awhile, you don't have to commit to one girl right now," Xander said.

"Really?" Jesse said sounding like the beginning of a Giles lecture on propriety.

"What?"

"Buffy," Jesse said with meaning.

"What does Buffy have to do with anything?"

"You've fallen hard for her, haven't you, bro?" Jesse asked, smiling.

"Don't be ridiculous," Xander protested, even though it was disturbing how quickly his friend picked up on that and started drinking his drink.

"Sure, so what's this about you and her having kids that save the world?" Jesse asked, conversationally, sipping his soda..

Xander spewed the mouth full of soda in shock, "No fair, only I'm allowed to eavesdrop on conversations in the library!"

"You weren't going to tell me, or Willow, you went to the OLD GUY?" Jesse asked, sounding hurt.

"That old guy is the only one I thought would believe me, besides I don't want to burden too many people with this," Xander said without realizing he was channeling Buffy.

"You planning on telling her?" Jesse asked.

"No, when...if it happens I want it to be because she wants it to, not because she feels obligated to," Xander said.

"You are SOOO into her!" Jesse said, grinning again.

"Yeah, I've loved her a long time, Jesse," Xander said seriously.

"And not ONCE?" Jesse asked, not wanting to believe it.

"Not with her, according to Azriel and the soul of my daughter though we were finally…"

"When you got shot. Man, hearing the hospital stuff, it made me cry. It's gotta be hard," Jesse said, sympathetically.

Xander put his arm around his friend and squeezed, "I have MISSED you man, of course I'll have to think of another name for Jesse now, since you'll be alive," Xander said, with a grin.

"This is too weird, man. Oh...look looks like Willow is coming out of her shell," Jesse said.

Xander looked at the guy she was dancing with and gulped, "Uh oh,"

"Huh?" Jesse asked confused.

"That's not a guy, it's a vampire," Xander said.

"How can you tell?" Jesse asked.

"I just can, it's a hazard of being best friends with the Slayer. Find Buffy, I'm going after Willow," Xander said.

Before Xander took two steps though he saw Buffy come down the stairs. He turned to Jesse and moved his head.

They followed Buffy toward the back entrance and saw her almost stake Cordelia. Xander and Jesse followed her out and he took out his stake and handed Jesse a cross.

"Here, this will keep them back," Xander said and went up to Buffy.

"You see her?" Xander asked.

"No, I'm worried," Buffy said.

"It's ok, Buff. We'll get her back safe. I know where they are going," Xander said heedless of the questions filing the Slayer's head right now.

"How?" Buffy asked.

"Trust me, please. Willow's my best friend and she is NOT dying tonight," Xander said.

Buffy looked at him and nodded and they took off in the darkness. They soon caught up to Willow and the vampire was practically dragging her along.

Xander hung a bit back from Buffy and said to Jesse, "When the fight starts, keep out of her way."

"Hey! Willow!" Buffy called out.

Willow turned and brightened when she saw Buffy.

"Hey, this is my friend, Buffy. I'm going to just...HEY!" Willow said when the vampire didn't let her go.

Buffy sprinted ahead and Xander and Jesse raced to keep up. She caught up to Willow and hit the vampire in the back forcing him to let Willow go. She then went to work.

Xander and Jesse helped Willow up. "You ok, Wills?" Xander asked, concerned.

"Yeah...Buffy we have to help her!" Willow said starting to go towards Buffy.

"No, we just need to watch her back, she's got this one," Xander said holding her back.

"Wow…" Jesse said watching the fight.

"Impressed with my girl's moves?" Xander asked Jesse as they watch Buffy give the vampire a pummeling. "Come on Buffy, dust this yahoo already."

"Huh?" Jesse asked.

"What is going on, Xander?" Willow asked.

"Long story, Will. Best served in the Library and in a British accent," Xander said then winced when Buffy lost her stake. Xander noticed a few things in her technique that she'd rip the mini slayers a new one for. Xander instinctively tossed her his calling out to her and she smiled and finally dusted the vamp.

"Yay! Good guys win again!" Xander crowed and Willow fainted.

* * *

The next morning in the Library, Xander, Jesse, Buffy, and Willow were listening to Giles and only Xander and Buffy seemed in the know on most of the information. After he completed his lecture, Willow and Jesse still looked lost, though Willow was more wigged than Jesse was.

"I think I need to sit down," Willow said, her voice weak.

"You are sitting," Buffy said, sympathetic.

"I'm not eating today...I think I'm going to be sick," Jesse said.

"So what's your deal, how'd you know where he was taking Willow?" Buffy asked, crossing her arms.

"Damn it…." Xander said.

"You might as well tell her since you've already used your unique situation to help," Giles said.

"Et tu, Giles?" Xander asked, causing Willow to faint.

"Willow!" Xander exclaimed going to his friend.

"I'm ok..just never knew you knew Shakespeare," she said, her voice weak.

"Ahem...It's either that or she beats you to a bloody pulp until you talk," Giles said conversationally.

"No, not bloody, just severely bruised," Buffy said sweetly.

"Ok, ok...I'm not ready to be your demonstration dummy just yet!" Xander said holding up his hands. "I'm from nine years in the future and you're one of my best friends. As a result I know about the future, 'cause it's my past," Xander said.

"Xander!" Willow shouted.

"Will, relax, it only happened on Sunday," Xander said.

"So when you were walking by the house…." Buffy said.

"I was actually walking aimlessly trying to think about what to do. In the coming years the me and Willow spend a lot of time at your house. It was instinct. In my past I didn't meet you until yesterday morning and was slightly less cool about it. As far as helping, I told the truth, what are friends for," Xander said.

"What about Jesse, why wasn't he…..he was dead, wasn't he?" Buffy said answering her own question.

"And you question how smart you are," Xander said.

"Everytime I hear I'm supposed to be dead, the weirder it seems," Jesse said.

"It gets weirder, buddy," Xander said with a smile.

"So what happens next?" Willow asked.

"I don't want to talk too much about the future, first, it's changing now, just with what I've done in the last two days. Second, I don't want any of you to feel like you have to do something just because you did in my past. Third, and this is the hard one-there's bad stuff coming, some of it I CAN'T prevent because it leads to better things," Xander said.

"Which means that you aren't going to talk about what our personal lives are like?" Willow asked.

"Would you really want to know, Willow?" Jesse said.

"No, I guess not. I guess in a way Jesse is in the best position of all of us 'cause his life isn't in Xander's head," Willow said.

"Willow, yours and Buffy's life isn't in my head either, just the way it went once," Xander said.

"I do have a question though, why?" Buffy asked.

"Why what, Buff?" Xander asked.

"Why are you here?" Buffy asked.

"You don't want that answered, Buffy," Giles asked.

"That's ominous," Buffy said.

"It's true, and PLEASE don't ask me to tell you the story," Xander said and put on puppy eyes.

"Why?" Buffy asked, her voice dropping in pitch.

"It's painful. It was the most emotionally wrenching experience I've ever gone through and that is saying something. I promise I will tell you someday, just not now. Besides, spoilers," Xander said.

"Ok...I trust you," Buffy said, sounding sympathetic at the obvious pain in his voice.

"Thank you, that means a lot," Xander said, closing his eyes.

"So we won?" Buffy asked.

"Huh?" Xander asked.

"Well we saved Willow and saved Jesse, right?"

"Oh...crap! We never got to mausoleum! You never fought Conan the Fangy!" Xander said, slapping his forehead[a].

"What's wrong?"

"The Harvest! It's tonight, the Master is going to try to rise unless we stop it."

"Harvest? That sounds bad. Does anyone mind if I pass out again?" Willow asked.

"Breathe," Buffy commanded her, and she did.

"Breathe," Willow told herself, and she looked less pale. Xander walked over to her, putting his hands on her shoulders.

She smiled up at him weakly. "It will be ok, Wills, I promise," he said low so that she was the only one who would hear. She patted his hand and returned her attention to Giles.

"How much do you know about the Harvest?" Giles asked.

"Only that Conan the Fangy was supposed to feed and somehow the power would transfer to the Master. They are doing it at the Bronze." Xander said, absently rubbing Willow's shoulders.

"How'd we find out originally?" Buffy asked looking a little jealous about the contact Willow was getting.

"When Willow and Jesse was taken they got to the Mausoleum," Xander said, stopping his impromptu massage to Willow's protests and moved over to Buffy and did the same for her as he continued. He needed both of his girls to talk about this. "Buffy and Conan fought. He surprised her. Don't know details but he talked about the Master rising. You and Willow did research while Buffy and I went after Jesse," Xander said.

"You came with me?" Buffy said, leaning into his touch.

"You didn't want me too, but Jesse's my bro. I wasn't about to leave him down there," Xander said and chuckled when Jesse faked being choked up.

"I didn't know you cared that much, man," Jesse said earning chuckles from the girls.

"I don't I was just trying to impress Buffy at the time," Xander said with a grin, both of them knowing he was kidding.

"Hah hah," Buffy said then whimpered when Xander removed his fingers and both girls looked at each other with knowing smiles.

"Anyway, we found Jesse but we were too late and it was a trap," Xander said.

"I take it we got away," Buffy said.

"Yup, first time I ever saved your life," Xander said, his tone serious.

"Sounds like you did a lot of that," Buffy said looking up at him.

"We both did, but last count you were ahead in getting my skinny ass out of trouble than vice versa," Xander said and Buffy smiled at him.

"So we can't do anything until sundown so I suggest we go to class and meet back here after school," Xander said.

"An excellent idea," Giles said.

Buffy looked up at Xander and asked, "Do we need anything special for our friend Conan the Fangy?"

"No, standard tools will suffice. I didn't see the fight, but you told me afterward that he wasn't too bright, might help," Xander said, looking up at the clock. "First period is in five minutes, though, so everyone needs to start heading for class."

Xander took the first book from the stack he'd given Giles.

"What about you?" Buffy asked.

"I have free period first period. I will go to class like a good boy," he reminded her.

"Oh, yeah, you told me that yesterday," Buffy said. "I have third period free, so I'll be back soon."

"Sixth for me," Willow said.

"Fourth," Jesse chimed in. "But we can all be here for lunch."

"Right then," Giles said, picking up a book. "Let's see what we have here."

* * *

It was lunch, and Willow had revealed her access to the sewer system map on the computer, and Xander had pinpointed the location on the map for everyone.

"Giles," Buffy started, "Isn't the Slayer supposed to be a one and only lonely kind of thing?"

"It is, traditionally," he said.

"Not anymore, you've got Scoobies now," Xander said grinning.

"Scoobies? Sounds itchy," Buffy said.

"As in Scooby Doo? We're the Scooby gang," Xander said.

"Were you Fred?" Buffy asked smiling at him.

"Are you kidding? I was Shaggy, Oz got to be Scooby," Xander said with nostalgic look on his face.

"Who's Oz and why was he Scooby?" Willow asked.

"Damnit," Xander said.

"What?" the girls asked.

"I have to be careful about mentioning people that aren't in the group yet," Xander said simply.

"Oh come on...just a little hint?" Buffy asked moving over to Xander who swallowed.

"Sorry Buff, but I've had nine years of being surrounded by beautiful women. While this would break mortal men, yip!" the last his voice cracked as she took his hand and looked up at him pouting.

"No fair no fair! Not the pout!" Xander said to guffaws from Willow and Jesse.

"Need I remind you that the end of the world is nigh?" Giles said.

"What the British man said!" Xander said sitting down and opening up a book. Buffy patted him on the shoulder.

"I had to try," she said, smiling at him.

"I understand you being curious," he said and his flustered attitude was dropped like a mask and Buffy frowned.

"I know," she said and sat down, and then turned to Xander, a business look on her face. "Ok, so you have some experience killing Vampires right?"

"Yeah," Xander said, "Nine years. I think that qualifies me for Slayer back up, but I'll need to get back into shape. I've gotten a bit flabby in my young age. So I'll be crowd control tonight."

Buffy nodded nervously, not wanting to think about what he'd look like in what he thought of as in shape, her knees were weak enough as it was.. "And we are going right after school?"

"Yup, after a brief stop at your house," Xander said.

"Supplies," she said nodding.

"Then when we get there Willow, Jesse, Giles and I will get everyone out while you deal with Conan," Xander said.

"That is a very sound plan," Giles said, sounding impressed.

"Thanks!" Xander said, sounding embarrassed.

"And Conan the Fangy will have this symbol on his forehead in blood?" Buffy asked, frowning the symbol on the whiteboard.

"Yes, he will," Giles said.

"This seems too easy," she said looking worried.

"Hey, relax, we won this one. You can do this," Xander said, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"You have so much faith in me," she said, her voice low.

"Of course I do, you're my hero, and you've never let me down," he said softly, forgetting himself and Buffy blushed. Then GIles cleared his throat.

"Lunch is almost over," he said.

Buffy looked at Xander and then smiled, "Thank you. I don't know if I could do this without you."

Xander smiled at her, "Sure you could, it just wouldn't be as much fun."

Then Willow ran out of the room.

"Uh oh," Buffy said and started after her. But Xander held her back, "I'll go. This is about me anyway."

* * *

"Willow! Wait!" Xander yelled and was glad that she stopped.  
"I'm sorry Xander, but it just got to be too much," she said.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"I love you Xander, but you'll never feel the same and now that Buffy's here…" she trailed off and started crying. Xander put his arms around her.

"I love you Willow. You are one of the most important people in my life and the people you will date in the future, I'm proud to call them family," Xander said.

"You've changed a lot," she said.

"Not in the things that matter," Xander said.

"You love her don't you?" Willow asked.

"Yes, just like I love you," he said, stroking her hair.

"No, not like you love me. There's more there. And she feels it too, I can tell. That was why I had to get out of there," Willow said.

"Willow, Buffy doesn't feel that way about me," Xander said, unconsciously voicing what was true at this point in his memories.

"Then you are blind, Xander. Last night at the Bronze she asked if I was interested, and I told her I was, and she...she…" Tears overcame his redheaded friend. Xander held her as she cried. Then she found her voice, "She offered to back off, Xander. She put me before her obvious desire. At first I was stunned, but then I told her I want you to be happy. I was hoping to be the one to make you happy, but I can live with it being Buffy, she'll treat you the way you deserve."

"You two are the most amazing people I have ever known," Xander said, wiping the tears from his friend's face.

"Besides it could be a lot worse. I could have caught you making out with Cordelia," she said with a sad smile. Xander just coughed at what she said.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing, nothing at all," Xander said.

* * *

Xander caught up with Buffy as she was going down the stairs out of the school and headed for her house. "Hey, Buffster," he said as she turned onto the sidewalk.

"Hey, how's Willow? I guess I got a bit carried away," she said, sounding a little down.

"She was fine enough to joke about catching me and Cordelia making out," Xander said.

"And how likely is that?" Buffy asked.

"About as good as you sleeping with a vampire," Xander deadpanned.

"That unlikely, huh?" Buffy said smiling a bit then the shadow returned.

"I know that look. It bodes no good. What's wrong, oh, Slayer above all Slayers?"

She frowned at him. "I didn't want to hurt Willow,"

He looked at her sympathetically. "She told me that you offered to back off."

"She did?" she asked, looking at him for his reaction.

"Yes, and according to her it was the most selfless thing anyone's ever done for her. I want to thank you for that," Xander said.

"You didn't know this?" she asked.

"No I didn't, if something similar happened between you the first time around neither of you told me," Xander said.

"I thought she was ok with it until she ran out," she said, sadly.

"She just needs time, Buffy. Trust me, she will find love and it will be magical for her. If I could speed it up I would, but I don't want to wreck things." he said, swallowing.

She looked up at him and touched his cheek, "That's good. She deserves it. So, what's eating at you?"

"What makes you think something is eating at me?"

"I can see it, whatever happened before you got sent back, it had to be hard," she said, gently stroking his cheek.

He closed his eyes, "You don't want to hear this, honest."

"Xander, you can't bottle this up, you need to talk to someone," she said.

"I have, Giles," he said.

"Someone you can cry around," she said, softly and she hugged him.

"I'll think about it, we don't have time right now," He said, returning the hug.

"Ok, I'll be here for you whenever you are ready," she said and kissed his cheek.

"Thanks, it helps," he said then cleared his throat, " I wish your Mom didn't have to stay with Dawn, we could use her help."

"Who's Dawn?"

"Your sis….SHIT!" Xander shouted.

"Xander...you kiss your mother with that mouth?" she said, teasing.

"Not if I can help it," he said, seriously and Buffy's expression darkened remembering Cordelia's shot about his home life.

"So who's Dawn?" she asked, obviously changing the subject.

"I shouldn't say," he said, sounding torn.

"But you're going to, aren't you?" she said giving him puppy eyes.

"Gah! Not the puppy eyes! Summers women and their puppy eyes, my personal kryptonite," Xander said causing Buffy to chuckle.

"Know a lot of Summers women?" she asked, playfully.

"Only three, your mother, you and...your sister," he said, the last two words resignedly.

"My WHAT?" she asked.

"You're sister," he said.

"Mom's going to get pregnant in the future?" Buffy asked, in shock.

"Not exactly," Xander said, deciding against teasing her about Giles being the father.

"Xander…." Buffy growled.

"It's complicated," Xander said.

"Tell me," she said, her voice getting dangerous.

Xander sighed, and said, "There is a ball of green energy, it's called The Key. It is capable of opening passages between dimensions, or break down those barriers completely."

"Sounds dangerous," Buffy said.

"Yeah, it almost ended the world, the Order of Diagon protected the key from a hellgod that was planning on using it to return home. Of course in the process she would've destroyed the world," Xander said, using his lecture voice.

"So what does this have to do with my yet-to-be-born sister?" Buffy said, causing Xander to chuckle a little.

"This isn't funny!" she said.

"I know it's not, not what I'm laughing at. You've always been protective of Dawn, sometimes a bit overprotective. I'm just glad to see it wasn't something the Monks whammied you with," he said, glad to have something to laugh about after the seriousness of the earlier part of the conversation.

"Oh...so what does this key thing have to do with her?"

"Everything. She IS the Key. The monks knew they couldn't protect it from Glory, so they sent it to the one person who could, the Slayer," Xander said.

"Still not getting what this has to do with my sister," Buffy said.

"When they did they wanted to ensure you would protect it, so they made it human. They created Dawn," he said.

"What about records and memories?" Buffy asked, confused.

"The spell was powerful. It changed our memories and all records and the world. Photos, recordings, right down to the tiniest detail. At your old house in LA you can see where you and Dawn signed your names in wet cocreate when the driveway was replaced," he said.

"That was before I was Called, how old was Dawn when the monks created her?" Buffy asked.

"Dunno, they could do it tomorrow or not for four more years. All I do know is that she was fourteen when everything with Glory happened," Xander said, wistfully.

"You miss her," she said.

"Yeah, I do. I have these memories of her being here and you'll see me instinctively tense up when I come over expecting a Dawn shaped cannonball to come flying at me," Xander said, smiling at the happy memories.

"Are you…" she asked.

"What?" Xander asked and Buffy waggled her eyebrows suggestive, "Oh...no. She's my sister just as much as she's yours. She's nineteen now and has been assigned her first Slayer," Xander said, caught up in memories.

"She's a Watcher?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, you're proud of her, Buff," he said.

"But there can be only one, and you said I'm still alive," Buffy said.

"We changed the rules. Enough spoilers, we need to get going and since your mother doesn't have to watch Dawn after all I'm going to ask her to come," Xander said.

"No you aren't," Buffy said, her tone brokering no argument.

"Yes I am, Buffy. She finds out about you being the Slayer anyway and the first time it wasn't a pleasant way," Xander said.

"She tried to…" Buffy said.

"I know, but if she sees the truth, she'll believe. She did before," Xander said.

"I don't want to put her in danger," Buffy said.

"Buffy, she lives on the HELLMOUTH, she's already in danger. If she knows about the supernatural she can protect herself, and it'll make her relationship with you easier," Xander said.

"Fine, but I don't like it," she said.

"No, but you'll love it eventually," he said.

They arrived at Buffy's house shortly thereafter and Buffy and Xander went in. Xander stayed at the door while Buffy went upstairs.

"Xander!" Joyce said greeting him.

"Hi, Mrs. Summers," Xander said waving.

"Are you and Buffy going out?" she asked.

"Yes, we are, though its business rather than pleasure, unfortunately," Xander said.

"Business?" Joyce asked.

"Yeah, lives to save, vamps to dust. Home sweet Hellmouth. Buffy is upstairs getting her stuff," Xander said.

"Xander?" Joyce said.

"I'm sorry, its easy to forget you just got into town and don't know yet. We could actually use your help tonight, there's going to be a lot of scared folks and we could use the help with crowd control," Xander said.

"I don't believe I'm hearing this...and I was…" Joyce said stammering.

"Mrs. Summers, I know it sounds crazy, but its all true and a lot of people are going to die tonight if we don't act. Buffy needs your support. She's going to stop the Apocalypse tonight. Then if we aren't too tired we celebrate the world NOT ending," Xander said with a smile.

"You really believe this?" Joyce asked.

"Yes I do. Willow was taken by one of them last night. Buffy saved her. She is the one girl born into this generation with the strength, skill...yadda yadda yadda. It sounds better with a British accent," he said with a smirk.

"Who are you?" Joyce asked.

"I'm the same guy who helped you move in, Mrs. Summers. I had my eyes opened last night and I'm not going back to sleep. Too many lives are at stake. I wish you could stay unaware, but you're involved because of Buffy's status as the Slayer," Xander said and paused as Joyce gasped at the word.

"Ok, Xand. I think I've got enough for everyone to be safe…" Buffy said as she came down stairs with a bag, she was interrupted by her mother.

"Go back upstairs, Buffy," she said.

"Mom!" Buffy cried.

"She can't Mrs. Summers. Nothing would make me happier than if she could obey, but if she does the Master will rise and he will open the Hellmouth, then nothing much else matters," Xander said.

"Xander!" Buffy shouted.

"Buffy, I thought we agreed that this is for the best, that she needs to see it, in a reasonably controlled environment," Xander said to her then turned back to Joyce drawing from years of experience in dealing with parents of newly-called Slayers.

"You call the Harvest a controlled environment?" Buffy screamed.

"Compared to a lot of scenarios, yes I do. The vampires there will be there just to keep people from escaping; all the blood is meant for the Master, they won't kill and they won't feed. To do so will only make the Master mad and they don't want to do that," Xander said.

"No, no...I don't want her involved in this, I know I initally agreed to this insane idea, but I've changed my mind." Buffy said, her emotions getting the best

"Buffy, she needs to come," Xander said.

"NO! She's staying here where its safe," Buffy said.

"You always do this, as soon as things get dangerous you start pushing people away. I get it. You don't want to see any of us to get hurt, but guess what Buffy. We don't want to see you get hurt!"

"Its my job Xander!" she shouted.

"I know that! But that doesn't mean you have to go lone wolf all the time!" Xander said, both of them forgetting that the subject of the argument was standing right there in stunned silence.

"I AM a lone wolf. One girl in all the world, remember?" Buffy said.

"That's what the Council wants you to think. To them the Slayer is just a weapon, to be used and broken and replaced, but you aren't that to me. You're irreplaceable to me! Besides I made a promise to her. To keep you and Dawn safe and I will keep it!"

"How can you keep me safe when my job is going into battle?" she shouted.

"Buffy, you can kick the ass of any demon or hellgod on this planet. Physically, I'm not overly worried. Emotionally though? I've seen you go through horrible things and NOT once let anyone comfort you. You need that, you need your mother to know the REAL you. The you that takes the risks so the rest of the world can stay asleep. How can she BE your mother when she doesn't know what you are going through, what your nightmares REALLY are and why you wake up screaming at night. You deserve that, you cherished it once she found out the first time, not having to keep this from her, not having to make excuses for why you're out all hours and to be able to tell her WHY you need her to go when it REALLY is time for her to be out of the line of fire!" Xander paused to breathe.

"You'll keep her safe," she said, chagrined.

"I'll be watching out for her, I may not be in shape enough to back you up, but I can keep her safe," Xander said, he tone more the twenty-five-year-old Watcher he was than the sixteen-year-old boy he appeared to be.

"If she gets hurt, I will skin you alive," Buffy said.

"If she gets hurt, Buffy, I'll let you," Xander said and Joyce closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose as the fight wound down.

"You two fight like an old married couple," she said shaking her head and headed for the door leaving the two of them dumbfounded.. "Coming?"

* * *

They arrived at the Bronze ten minutes later and the sun was about to set. Giles was pacing as Buffy, Joyce and Xander came up to them.

"It's about time you got here, it's almost dark!" Giles admonished them then froze when he saw Joyce.

"Sorry, G-Man but I had to have a conversation with Mrs. Summers about Buffy, it took about as long as I thought it would because Buffy had to read me the riot act. Now Buffy has toys for us," Xander said as she began passing out crosses and holy water.

"Ok, Mom, Vampires can't stand crosses, the touch of one burns, but just holding it out from you will keep them away from you. This is Holy Water, don't use it unless you have to because I haven't gotten a supply I trust yet," Buffy said, still not sounding happy she was there.

"Father O'Reilly at St Mary's on Wilkerson. He's the real deal, Buffy," Xander said, his tone business.

"Thanks Xander," she said,. "Don't forget your promise."

"Never," he said seriously and kissed her hand, caught up in the moment. "Now let's save the world."

* * *

They separated to cover all of the exits so they could reopen them when needed. Xander stayed near Joyce. They were in an uncomfortable silence for a while. Then Joyce broke it.

"You said you made me a promise to look after Buffy and….Dawn?" she said.

Xander sighed and rubbed his eyes, he was going to have to stop slipping up on this. He sighed and nodded.

"Are you Buffy's husband?" she asked.

"No, we've never been romantically involved at all," he said.

"Surprising, you were all she talked about Sunday night. She's quite taken with you, which means I need to know something. Do you love her?" Joyce asked..

"More than my own life," he said.

"Then why didn't you get together?" Joyce asked.

"I used to think it was bad luck, but an angel tells me it was actually enemy action," Xander said.

"Come again?" she said.

"It's not important," Xander said.

"So your promise wasn't a promise made over wedding plans, so I assume it was made over my grave." Joyce said.

"No...don't ask this. Not this," Xander said.

"How?" she pressed.

"Joyce, please, don't make me talk about this," Xander said, his voice full of remembered pain.

"Ok...I won't press. You obviously think a lot of me to stand up to Buffy like that," Joyce said.

"We were close, all of us love you Joyce. In many ways you're more mine and Willow's mother than our own mothers are, especially after you found out. This way is better than the way I remember it," he said.

"So, I'm dead before you came back, and I have another daughter. I have to admit I'm loaded with questions."

"Yes, I know, and I can't promise to answer them all, but I will tell you everything Buffy knows….after we save the world," Xander said as the doors flew open admitting dozens of vampires.

* * *

After stopping the Harvest, Xander was on the phone with Jesse. He actually had to look up his friend's number in the phone book, which was embarrassing.

"So Buffy's Mom knows?" Jesse asked.

"Yes," Xander said.

"What does she think of it?" Jesse asked.

"This about what?" Xander asked.

"Being a grandmother?" Jesse said.

"I didn't tell her about that! I haven't had that many concussions yet," Xander said.

"Is Buffy still mad?" Jesse asked.

"She'll get over it. Her mom came through without a scratch," Xander said.

"She seemed over it the way she looked at you when they took you away," Jesse said.

"Well, that's good," Xander said.

"So did you have a lot of concussions the first time around?" Jesse asked.

"Seemed to happen about every other Tuesday," Xander said.

"What about dislocated shoulders?" Jesse asked.

"You are morbid, you know that?" Xander said.

"I'm curious, so if I get injured at some point do you think Cordelia would nurse me back to health?" Jesse said.

"If you saved her life, maybe," Xander said.

"But probably not, right?" Jesse said.

"Probably not. She isn't one for actual work, after all," Xander said.

"Bummer. Man, this is so weird vampires are real and your girlfriend fights them. It's a weird world," Jesse said.

"It gets weirder, and she's not my girlfriend," Xander said.

"Yet," Jesse said.

"Jesse…" Xander said warningly.

"Oh come on! You're Kyle Reese and she's Sarah Connor! It's perfect!"

"You watch too many movies," Xander said.

"Well I'm going to go, some of us actually have school in the morning," Jesse said.

"Night, bro. It's good to have you back," Xander said and hung up. He leaned his head back then heard a soft knock.

"Are you awake?" a familiar voice asked.

"Buffy? Visiting hours are over, aren't they?" Xander said.

"I snuck up, you weren't awake when they put you in here. I wanted to make sure you were ok," she said coming over to his bed.

"I'm fine, I've been hit harder than this, by you," Xander quipped then her face crumpled, "That was a joke."

"You were right, it IS nice to be able to talk about the Slayer stuff with my Mom. I was worried about you and it was nice that she KNEW what really happened," she said.

"I let you down, I promised to protect her and…" Xander began.

"You're not in shape yet, it's ok, you did your best, besides, she's not hurt. Not a scratch, which is more than the vampires can say," Buffy said.

"She's an incredible woman, Buffy," Xander said.

"Yes, she is. I forget that sometimes," Buffy said.

"How long are you staying?" Xander asked.

She breathed in keeping from crying, and said, "I still need to think about my feelings about you, but if you don't mind I'd like to stay all night."

"Won't be the first time," he said with a smile and she smiled at him and let the tears fall.


	2. Dawn

**AN: Thanks everyone who's reviewed, I tried to respond to everyone, if I missed anyone its just because I have SO much going on right now. This takes place in the same timeframe as "The Witch". So where's the cheerleading tryouts? Simple, they saved all of the cheerleaders at the Harvest, no deaths mean no tryouts. Is Amy's mom still hanging out in her body….to borrow a phrase from one of my favorite author's….dum te dum….**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

Xander was glad to be out of the hospital, his parents never even came to see him and he doubted they even were aware that he was there. Buffy had told him that her mother had tried to get either one of them down there to sign consent to treat him and then she finally just forged his mother's told the nurse that his mother had just stopped by to sign it and left. He was angry, that it was necessary for Joyce to do that.

Worse were the looks of sympathy Buffy gave him and he remembered the first time she heard details of what his home life was like. She didn't make a big deal out of it but the first movie night they'd had with him at home she'd confided in him that she wanted to break both of Tony's legs. Xander had been touched by her concern, but told her that it was ok, he would survive his parents.

Buffy's anger in that memory was tame compared to what it was in the here and now.

"How could they? You were unconscious! You could've been dying for all they knew and nothing! Did they even know you had spent the night in the hospital?" she was saying as they walked to school, his arm in a sling.

"Buffy, it's ok. I've made my peace with how they are a long time ago," Xander said.

"It's not right. You deserve better. In fact you should move out. You're twenty six, you shouldn't be living with them anyway at your age," she said.

Xander laughed, "Twenty-five actually, Yeah, somehow I doubt I'll be convincing the rest of the world that. Besides, I don't have a job, I have little money and where would I stay?" Xander asked the enraged Slayer.

"Mom's got a spare room…." she said softly.

"Tempting, but not a good idea, besides that's Dawn's room," Xander said.

"Fine..rain on my parade," she said and pouted.

He stopped and faced her, putting his good hand on her shoulder and said. "I appreciate that you care, Buffy. I really do, but I survived them once I can do it again."

"But you shouldn't have too," she muttered as they went into the school.

* * *

They arrived in the Library and Giles was busy checking in books. He looked up and nodded in greeting as Buffy started her morning training kata. Xander longed to join her but with a bum shoulder there was no way he could. His other way of relaxing when he was in a quiet mood was also out of the question until he was healed.

He had to content himself with watching Buffy, which actually had a lot going for it as an alternative. He smiled at just how well things were going then checked himself. He'd know something had been bugging him since the Harvest and now he realized what it was. It was going too well, and he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. He frowned and stood up.

"Giles, could I have a word with you in private?" Xander asked.

"Don't mind me, you can ask him about the Order of Diangle in front of me. Get my sister here and such," she said as she continued her routine.

"The Order of what and I didn't know Buffy had a sister," Giles said flustered.

"I accidently spilled some beans on the way to Buffy's house the other night about her sister who isn't here yet," Xander said throwing a glare in Buffy's direction who looked innocent.

"You seem to miss her and I think it'd be nice to have a sister," she said, way too perky.

"Just remember that when you complain about her swiping Mr. Gordo," Xander said.

"What are you two on about?" Giles asked.

Xander sighed and laid out Dawn's history for Giles and finished with, "Any questions?"

"And you said the order of Diagon?" Giles asked.

"Yeah, they aren't a large order and seem to be pretty obscure and they guard the Key," Xander said.

"Do you think they'll be willing to do what you are asking?" Giles asked.

"I honestly don't know, I don't even know if they can or if this was a contingency plan they triggered when Glory found them, or if they actually DID do it sooner. With the implanted memories it is hard to tell. All I know is they haven't done it yet 'cause she's not around," Xander said.

"For a spell to be as powerful as you're suggesting you are probably right about it being a contingency plan waiting for the trigger, which means once the Monks decide to do it, it would be done fairly quickly. How old did you say she was during the Glory incident?"

"Fourteen," Xander answered.

"You should be aware that there is a possibility that if they activate it now she'll be fourteen now instead of ten," Giles said.

"You think that is a possibility?" Xander asked.

"I think it likely, actually. With a spell this large it almost has to be already prepared and keyed to seeking out the currently active Slayer," Giles said.

"Guess that's why you are Watcher man and I'm a schlub," Xander said, with a grin.

"You shouldn't sell yourself short, Xander," Giles said.

"Thanks...ok...so I've got something to think about then, cause if she comes into existence at fourteen no matter WHEN it's triggered, that would change our relationship considerably," Xander said.

"It might, you were six years older than she was in the original history now its possible that you'd only be two years older than her," Giles said.

"Which would mean what?" Buffy asked.

"If she were only two year younger than me in the original history I might have dated her," Xander said.

Buffy squeaked, "What?"

Xander smiled, "Don't worry Buffy, you are aware I exist in the here and now, it makes a difference, a huge difference. However Giles I still need to talk to you in private, please," Xander said then followed Giles into his office.

* * *

Giles closed the door to his office and asked, "What is on your mind?"

"Blinds first, she can read lips," Xander said and was rewarded with a pout from Buffy and he just blew her a kiss as Giles closed the blinds.

"So, what is on your mind?" Giles asked.

"This is too easy," Xander said.

"What is too easy?" Giles asked.

"Buffy, she's crazy about me, I don't think she's ready for a lot, but she wants to date me," Xander said.

"You seem to think this is a problem, I thought you were here to ensure a romantic relationship occured between yourself and Buffy," Giles said.

"That's what Azriel said, but it just seems TOO easy. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. I spent NINE years loving that girl, Giles. Not ONCE in those nine years did she show any interest in me like that. At least not when she was in her right mind," Xander said thinking about the love spell that went bad and the cursed beer.

"Ah...and now that she's taken an interest in you because of your situation you're afraid that something is going to happen?" Giles asked.

"Remember the part that Az thinks that LUCIFER himself orchestrated the Xander Buffy train wreck of romance the first time?" Xander said.

"Yes and from the sound of what you told me he had to rely on your own decisions to make that happen. Not that he didn't place tempting alternatives in front of both of you, but in the end you bit," Giles said.

Xander sighed, and nodded, "That...that actually makes me feel better. Which leaves me with the other problem."

"The difference in your mental ages?" Giles asked.

"Yeah, I'm twenty-five years old, Giles. Buffy is sixteen. If I saw a guy my age sniffing around Dawn at sixteen…" Xander trailed off.

"Xander, I'd be worried about this if you weren't concerned about it. The fact that you are concerned about it tells me that you're intentions toward Buffy are entirely honorable that you do indeed care for her deeply and I actually believe you are in love with her," Giles said putting a hand on the younger man's shoulder.

"Thanks, G man. I needed to hear that. I just don't want to hurt her," Xander said.

"Then don't, make her happy," Giles said.

"Is it really that simple?" Xander asked.

"I think it can be. I understand your concerns and I have been trying to research Lucifer, but I doubt he's going to do anything overtly, as that would attract attention from the Heavenly Host," Giles said.

"Ok...and if he does Buffy can just kick his ass, he can't be any tougher than Glory," Xander said.

"That is the spirit, now go out there and kiss her, just don't let me see it," Giles said with a small smile.

Xander laughed and left his office.

* * *

Xander came back out to the library proper, where Buffy was just finishing up her routine she looked up at him and smiled. He smiled back and walked over to her.

"So, what did you and my Watcher talk about?" Buffy asked.

"I'll tell you about it someday, but not yet, but I feel better, that's all that matters," Xander said.

"Feel better?" Buffy asked looking at his arm.

"Not that, this," he said and leaned down to kiss her and she smiled leaned up only to have both of them jump as Willow and Jesse came in with a loud, "Hi, guys!"

"You two have just impeccable timing, you know that?" Xander said.

"Did we interrupt something?" Willow asked then saw how close they were, "Oh we DID interrupt something...so sorry! Jesse we need to go,"

"Why?" Jesse asked.

"Cause we...interrupted...them," Willow said.

"What?" Jesse said.

"Xander and Buffy…." Willow said.

"It's ok, Wills, relax. I have something I need your opinion on anyway," Xander said, ignoring Buffy's meep.

"I'm sorry Buffy," Willow said.

"It's ok, Willow. It IS a public place after all," Buffy said falling into best friend role.

"What do you want to talk about?" Jesse asked.

"Dawn," Xander said.

"What about dawn? I know it's good for crispy vampires, is something happening at dawn, or...did something happen at dawn? Did…." Willow got immediately flustered.

"Willow, calm down. Dawn is a person," Xander said.

"Who is she, bro?" Jesse asked.

"Buffy's sister," Xander said.

"You have a sister? Has she been staying with your dad? Is this a parent trap thing?" Willow said babbling.

"Well, that's a new take on it," Buffy said with a grin.

"When do we get to meet her, how old is she?" Willow continued.

"She'll need air sooner or later," Jesse said. with a grin.

"Dawn doesn't exist yet, Willow," Xander said.

"Oh….so your mom is….oh wow...I bet you're excited!" Willow said.

Xander started laughing and couldn't stop. He ended up having to sit down, he was laughing so hard.

"What is so funny?" Willow asked, confused.

"You're just the third person to make that assumption, or a variation of it," Buffy said with a grin as Xander's laughter started to infect her.

"So she's adopting?" Jesse asked sending Xander out of his chair and onto the floor.

"Is he ok?" Willow asked concerned.

"As long as he didn't hit his shoulder," Buffy deadpanned.

"So, if she's not adopting and not pregnant, how are you getting a sister?" Willow asked.

"Cause I'm the Slayer and I needed to protect her," Buffy said, sobering as Xander regained control and stood up again. They then told their two friends about Dawn and Giles' theories.

"So, if the monks do the spell now she might be four years older than in Xander's memories?" Willow asked.

"Yes, which will change the relationship I remember having with her. I like that relationship and don't want it to change, but at the same time having her older when Glory shows up might be a good thing," Xander said.

"Are you planning on telling her, when she arrives?" Willow asked.

"Yes, we don't have a right to keep it from her and last time trying didn't go so well. If she's fourteen. If she's ten...it might be better to wait a bit," Xander said.

"I haven't met her yet and I feel sorry for her," Jesse said leaning back in his chair.

"Yeah, it took her awhile to accept the idea," Xander said, leaving out the worst parts of the story. His friends didn't need to know the tragic end of it, especially Buffy.

"Yes but this time we'll know what is going on and can talk to her about it," Buffy said.

"Maybe," Jesse said.

"What do you mean maybe?" Willow asked.

"He means that since the spell affects memories you may not remember this conversation," Giles said, speaking up and surprising the group. "Sorry you were doing a very good job of discussing it, I didn't feel as if I had anything to add."

"And if our memories are affected…" Willow said.

"Right, I don't know how it's going to affect me at all. I have two sets of memories of the past nine years, one set from the first time and the ones I'm building now I don't know what this spell will do about it. I do know that when we learned the truth the memories didn't go away or seem any less real," Xander said.

"Quite right," Giles said, as the warning bell rang. "We aren't going to make any decisions now anyway, and there is one other person that needs to be involved in this anyway," Giles said.

"I'll call her at lunch and tell her to meet us here after school," Buffy said.

* * *

Buffy and Xander were the first ones to arrive after school and Xander looked a little lost on what to do.

"What's the matter?" Buffy asked, hugging him from behind. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the contact.

"Just used to katas at the end of the day, but with my arm the way it is, won't be doing those for a while and I also can't unwind the other way either," he said sighing.

"The other way?" she said her tone suggestive.

"Yeah. its only been a week but I'm missing it," he said, oblivious to what she was thinking.

"Anything I can help with," she asked, sounding serious.

"Not unless you have a supply of wood and a lathe," he said.

"Wood?" she asked surprised.

"Yeah...what did you think I was talking about?" Xander said looking confused then his eyes shot open as he realized what Buffy was thinking and turned to face her and stammered,. "Oh...Buffy…"

"It's ok," she said, sounding a little disappointed.

"Nothing would make me happier than to make love with you, Buffy. When the time is right for both of us," Xander said seriously.

"I am willing, but you're right, I'm not ready yet. Thank you for being a gentleman," Buffy said.

"Always," he said and kissed her hands and she shivered more than she did during the almost kiss earlier.

"So, you do woodworking?" she asked, changing the subject much to Xander's relief.

"Yeah, I'm a master carpenter by trade," he said, sounding proud.

"Do you like it?" she asked.

"I wouldn't have mentioned it as a way to unwind if I didn't," he said with a smile.

"Good, that makes buying you presents easy," she said with a smile.

He chuckled and said, "I suppose that's true, until I have every tool ever made, that is."

"How long have you done it?" she asked.

"Five years, I'm not actually employed in the industry right now helping with the mini-Slayers, though with thirty-five super-powered girls living under the same roof the toolbelt has not gotten rusty," he says.

"That could be taken the wrong way, you realize that, right," she said with a mischievous smirk.

He winced and spoke before engaging his internal censor, "Channeling Faith, there Buff."

"Who's Faith?" Buffy asked.

"A sister Slayer," he said.

"So she's called when we do the activation thingy?" she asked.

"You don't want to hear this right now, please?" Xander asked, closing his eyes, he was glad that this memory still didn't bring tears to his eyes but the pain was still there, along with the relief...and the anger.

"What's wrong?" she asked. She was getting quite good at reading his moods in just the week she'd known him.

"I promise that I will tell you EVERYTHING about the past nine years as I remember it, before we do anything with each other we can't take back, but I'm not ready to yet, partially 'cause the ending is a bit too fresh and raw right now," he said, his face pleading.

"You said that last week, this has to be some story, I can see the pain of it on your face," she said.

"That obvious?"" Xander asked.

"Yeah, it is," Buffy said as Jesse and Willow entered.

"We haven't interrupted any smoochies this time have we?" Willow asked.

"Unfortunately no, just talking about wood and the future," Buffy said.

"And there wasn't even one kiss during that discussion?" Jesse asked.

"Mind out of the gutter, Jesse," Xander said.

"Oh come on, leave me an opening like that?" Jesse said sitting down.

Xander shuddered, "Whoa...bad image there."

"What?"

"Just thinking about what your and Faith's love child would be like...not good," Xander said sending Buffy into peals of laughter.

"Who's Faith?" Jesse asked.

"Slayer I know in the future, has a dirty mind," Xander said.

"Can't wait to meet her," Jesse said.

"Jesse!" Willow said.

"What...oh...no, new slayer...oh god, Buffy I'm sorry," Jesse said, frowning.

"It's ok, Jesse, remember Buffy was alive and kicking ass when I got sent back," Xander said.

"Right, right...still...I'm sorry," he said, and Buffy smiled.

"It's ok, Jesse," Buffy said.

"It's just that, I'm going to be the closest thing you have to a brother-in-law and I'd HATE for the next thirty Thanksgivings to be awkward," he continued, almost matching Willow on babbling.

"Keep going, bro and it will be," Xander said with a smirk as Buffy turned almost lobster red.

"Wow, Buffy, I haven't seen you that color since you lost your swimsuit bottoms in the kiddie pool when you were eight," Joyce's voice said with a smile in it causing Buffy to go redder.

"Now that had to be adorable," Xander said grinning.

"Excuse me while I find a rock to hide under until I'm thirty!" Buffy said letting her head hit the table.

"Jesse, why don't you fetch Giles out of his office and tell him that the meeting has started and it's relatively safe," Xander said, then turned to Joyce. "How much has Buffy told you?"

"Not much, I was busy, just that this was about Dawn," Joyce said sitting next to her daughter who was regaining a more human coloring.

"Quite right, now let me explain, no that will take too long, let me sum up where we are," Xander said and waited...and waited. "No Princess Bride fans in the room?"

"You always refused to watch it when I wanted to rent it," Willow said, looking at him like he had grown two heads.

"Thought it was a chick flick," Jesse said.

"Never got around to it," Buffy said.

"Ok...after meeting emergency movie night! I am soooo glad I hadn't told you as you wish yet," he said to Buffy.

"Huh?" she said.

"After the movie, first business," Xander said noting that Joyce was smiling, obviously glad that Buffy had made good friends, especially with her extracurricular activities. He then launched into a summary of what had been discussed earlier.

"So you don't know how old Dawn will be when these monks trigger the spell?" Joyce asked.

"We don't know enough about how it works unfortunately. The bottom line is they WILL do this. Glory will be coming in the next four years, so they will be send her to us. The only question we have is do we try to convince them to do this now?" Xander said.

"From what you've said the first time you went through this, she found out and didn't take it well," Joyce said.

"That would be an understatement," Xander said.

"What did she do?" Buffy asked.

"Do you REALLY want to hear this, Buffy?" Xander asked.

"It's sweet that you want to spare me pain, Xander, but I think we need to know how she reacted the first time so we can plan how to deal with it," she said.

He nodded, "Ok, so of course when the spell was first cast we weren't aware anything was different. She had always been there, everyone knew her, had a relationship with her and there was no indication that anything was wrong," Xander began.

"So how did we find out about her?" Jesse asked.

Xander sighed...looked at Joyce and then at Buffy, seeming torn. It was impossible to tell this part without revealing Joyces health concerns he came over to Buffy and took her hand as he continued, "You had been warned that you would be attacked through your family. Your mother had started having severe headaches and you thought that was the form of the attack. Giles told you about a ritual that reveals truth in hopes of finding what was happening to your mother," Xander paused as Buffy gasped, he squeezed her hands and continued. "The spell worked and you saw through the spell. You thought that Dawn was the cause of your mothers headaches and confronted her about it, and then left to get answers. You had a lead that led you to a warehouse where you found one of monks that had created Dawn and he told you what she was. You and Giles decided not to tell anyone about her status as the Key figuring the fewer people who knew the better," Xander said and took a breath, and Buffy squeezes his hands offering support.

"We all found out later and as you were afraid we started acting weird around Dawn, things came to an head on your birthday. She gave you a custom Dawn special frame of a picture of the two of you at the beach. You were dumbstruck by the thoughtfulness of the gift and she took it wrong because we were all acting weird around her. She ran off to her room and did what fourteen year olds do when they are hurt and confused, she sulked, the active kind of sulking I mean. She snuck out of the house and went to the Magic Box where Giles had his notes about the key. Dawn found the book and read it and when you found her she was at the house having cut herself pretty badly," Xander said and paused again.

"Oh my God," Buffy said, tears glistening in her eyes.

Joyce was just staring at Xander, her mouth slightly open.

"The poor thing," Willow said.

"Yeah...then Dawn overheard you and Joyce talking and burned her diaries and ran off again. She somehow ended up at the hospital, Glory found her, you fought, Willow and Tara zapped her with a teleport spell and the day was saved. Needless to say we aren't doing it that way this time."

"I...should have told her, and I didn't and...what kind of sister am I?" Buffy said.

"One that loves her sister very much, you were doing what you thought was best, Buff. You took a beating for her from a HELLGOD for her and protected her with everything you had. Besides, we aren't doing it that way now," he said taking her in a one armed hug as she nodded.

"Something I for one am extremely grateful for," Joyce said, her voice thick with emotion and Buffy went to her mother and gave her a hug.

"Sounds like you had some rough times there, buddy," Jesse said, his voice flat.

"Worth it for my girls," Xander said.

"Who's Tara?" Willow asked.

"Oopps, spoilers," Xander said as Buffy and her mother finished comforting each other.

"So...we don't know exactly what is going to happen when they do the spell, right?" Buffy asked.

"No, and without more information about it we can't really speculate and magic is more Willow's thing anyway. Every spell I ever tried kinda went plooy," Xander said.

"And that is the me from nine years in the future, I didn't know I had any talent in magic," Willow said.

"Yeah...just be careful with it, please? It can be addictive and dangerous," Xander said.

"Ok…" she said.

Xander considered telling her that black hair and veins wasn't a good look for her, but decided against it, she didn't need to know about that and it would lead to even more uncomfortable personal questions and he'd spilled enough beans as it was.

"Her age would depend greatly on the type of spell it is, there is a possibility that the spell has been ready for ten years and she is as old as the spell is," Giles said, " Or that it was set at a specific age for her to appear as. Has she had any problems with being the Key?"

"None, as I told Buffy before the Harvest, she's nineteen now and has just been assigned a Slayer. All of us couldn't be prouder of her. She's quite a young woman."

"Does she have a boyfriend?" Buffy asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"No, you tend to scare them off, Buffy," Xander deadpanned picking up on what Buffy was attempting and everyone chuckled, needing the laughter.

"It seems to me that if these monks are going to be sending us Dawn anyway, there is no reason to put it off," Joyce said after the laughter died down.

"I agree," Buffy said nodding.

"Willow?" Xander asked.

"If Mrs. Summers and Buffy are on board so am I," Willow said.

"Jesse?" Xander asked.

"Seems like I'd be outvoted if I disagreed, but I don't. She might as well be here now," Jesse said.

"Giles?" Xander asked.

"They will be doing this anyway whether we want them to or not, from what you've said she isn't a threat, just an unfortunate innocent caught up in the supernatural, I have no problems with having them do it now."

"As for me, I've listened to all of this and it's a big decision. I'd LIKE Dawn's input on this as it's her life we're talking about, but that isn't an option. What I do know is I love her, she's family to me and that is important so yeah, if they will let's have them do it," Xander said.

* * *

Xander was walking home after their impromptu movie night, Buffy had been intent on walking with him even as he tried to beg off at Willow's house.

"No, you're hurt and you haven't had a chance to get into your definition of shape yet," Buffy protested.

"I'm not winning this one am I?" he asked.

"Nope," she said sweetly, laying her head on his good shoulder.

"Ah well, I get to spend more time with you, so any injury to my male ego is salved," he said.

"Do you think you could make a perfectly balanced stake?" she asked.

"If I had a lathe it would be easy, I used to make them for you all the time, in fact I daresay you kept losing them just so I would have too," he teased.

"Maybe I just needed to know I was special with all of the girls running around, tempting you?" she said.

"It wasn't like that. I'm sure a few of the girls nursed a crush on me, but there was NO fraternization," he said.

"Because of me?" she asked.

"You're fishing," he said.

"Can you blame me?"

"Not really, in fact you've been taking my reluctance to talk about it surprisingly well," he said.

"I wouldn't be, if I couldn't see the pain in your eyes, whatever happened to you it had to suck," she said, stroking his cheek.

"My own doing," he said smiling at her.

"I'm amazed how much happier you look when I'm touching you," Buffy said.

"It's a comfort," he said as they arrived.

"So we're here," Buffy said as the sound of shouting leaked out of the house.

"You sure you don't want to stay at my house?" she asked.

He sighed and was really considering taking her up on her offer, after all her living room couch was QUITE comfortable. "It's tempting, but I want to stay on your mother's good side."

"Coward," she teased.

"Not really, just strategic thinking," he said and took her hand.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" she said.

"Yeah, you going to do a quick patrol on your way home?" he asked.

"Probably, I don't sleep well if I don't kill something before bed," she joked.

He laughed and said, "Just call me when you get home."

She smiled and said, "As you wish."

Xander smiled remembering the movie, he leaned down to kiss her when a thought suddenly hit him. It had been there the whole time niggling then exploded into being that shocked him.

"You ok?" she asked as he stopped moving in for a kiss.

"We have a trip to make," he said quickly, Buffy pouting.

"And this is more important that smoochies?" she asked.

"Huh? Oh...I'm so sorry, the moment has been perfect twice today and it's been ruined by business both times. I would kiss you right now but I want our first kiss to be perfect and it wouldn't be now," he said.

"Awwww….that was sweet...almost makes up for interrupting yourself. So what was so earth shattering that it broke my spell?"

"The Scythe. It has to be at the Vineyard just waiting," Xander said.

"The what?"

"It's a weapon, you'll understand when you have it, but we have to go to the Vineyard. Tomorrow's Saturday...ok, I have to stay at your house, it'll save time," Xander said.

"Not that I'm not ecstatic about that, but what is so special about this scythe?" Buffy asked.

"Your mother is going to have to drive cause I don't have my license yet. It's an hour away by car," Xander said, thinking fast, not having heard Buffy's question.

"Xander!" she said.

"What?" he asked.

"You were rambling at near Willow speed," she said.

"I was? It's a wonder I didn't pull something," he quipped and she laughed.

"Come on, sweetie, let's go home," she said taking his hand.

* * *

"I don't know what you're problem is. My room is perfectly comfortable. Much more comfortable than the couch," she said.

"Therein lies the problem, you'd be tempted, I'd be tempted and it's too soon," he said.

"I hate it when you are right," she said pouting.

"So couch for me," he said.

"Can I at least tuck you in?" she asked.

"As you wish," he said smiling at her returning her previous statement.

"I'm glad you made us watch that movie," she said, looking up at him.

"It's a good one," he said.

"So how did you end up watching it?" she asked.

"Dawn actually, she was sick one night and your mother was out of town and you had to patrol and she got movie pick," he said.

"You watched Dawn for me and Mom?" she asked.

"All the time," he said and frowned when her lips started to tremble. "What's wrong?"

"How did I end up with someone like you in my life?" she asked.

"I keep asking myself the same question Buffy," he said and the pair walked in silence for a while then found themselves on Buffy's front steps.

"What are you thinking?" she asked.

"That I'm the luckiest bastard on the planet to have you in my life," he said.

She smiled and said, "I think I'm the lucky one. I've only known you a week but it feels like a lifetime."

He started to lean down to kiss her, she smiled at him and put her arms around him and reached up to his lips. He licked his lips as he closed the distance, then the porch light came on and Joyce opened the door.

"Buffy, Xander?" Joyce asked.

"Hello, Mrs. Summers," Xander said chuckling and shaking his head. Buffy just looked annoyed at her mother.

"You couldn't have waited thirty more seconds?" Buffy asked.

"Sorry dear, not ready to be a grandmother yet," Joyce said sweetly, as Xander blushed and Buffy's mouth dropped down far enough to impress a bass.

"Mother!" Buffy said once she got control over her mouth.

"What are you doing here, I thought Buffy was walking you home?" Joyce asked Xander ignoring her daughter.

"She did, Mrs. Summers," Xander said not knowing the best way to approach this.

"It was a bad night over there, Mom. His parents were fighting and it was loud and I just couldn't let him stay there," she said causing Joyce's face to soften.

"I'm sorry, Xander," Joyce said, looking at him sympathetically.

"I'm used to it, and that isn't the reason I let Buffy drag me back here, I thought about something from the future and we need to go get it," Xander said.

"Go get it?" Joyce asked, letting them come in.

"Yeah, you'll see what I'm talking about tomorrow, we need a lift," he said sheepishly.

"I have to be at the gallery tomorrow, kids," she said.

"It's really important," he said.

"Do you know how to drive?" she asked.

"Of course I do, I just don't have my license in the here and now," Xander said.

"This probably isn't very smart of me, but drop me off at the gallery and you and Buffy can go in the Jeep," she said.

"No...I can't, if something happened," Xander said.

She smiled, and said, "Ok, nice to know that you can convince yourself to follow Buffy's lead on staying over while making it seem like your idea. Couch."

Xander blushed as he realized she was right about his true motivations and said, "Yes, Ma'am."

"Buffy go get some spare sheets for Xander, I'm going to bed," Joyce said and went upstairs followed by Buffy.

"Great...way to be impulsive, Xander," he said to himself as he sat on the couch. Buffy came back down shortly with the sheets.

* * *

Later that night Xander woke up screaming. It took him a few minutes to realize where he was then he became aware of arms around him and he smelled her scent and relaxed immediately.

"You ok?" Buffy asked.

"Just a bad dream," he said, rubbing his forehead and she hugged him.

"We do this a lot, don't we?" she asked.

"It goes both ways, it's a wonder I don't have more nightmares with the life I've lived," he said letting her hold him. Over the years he'd gotten used to comforting and being comforted by Buffy when nightmares hit. It was the reason he had a door installed between their rooms. Of course Faith and the mini slayers had their own theories. He chuckled at the memory.

"You're laughing," she said as she held him.

"Just a memory," he said.

"Care to share?" she asked.

"Spoilers," he said.

"You going to be ok?" she asked.

"Yeah, get some sleep. We've got a busy day tomorrow," he said.

"Ok, sweet dreams, Xander," she said.

"You too Buffy," he said and laid back down.

* * *

The next morning Xander awoke more refreshed than he had since he got sent back, even considering the nightmare. He didn't remember any details of it except that it was a bad one. At least he didn't have to contend with Slayer dreams. He remembered a couple of nights that all of the girls at the school had the same Slayer dream, that was a night of very little sleep and much teasing as he'd been woken up by Buffy and had gone into her room and was holding her when Faith had burst in on them.

"That smells wonderful, Mrs. Summers," Xander said as the smell of breakfast rousing him.

"Good morning Xander. Does Buffy cook you breakfast in the future?" she asked.

"No, we have a kitchen staff at the school," Xander said.

"School?" Joyce asked.

"For Slayers. We try to keep the girls that have good homes with their parents, but there's too many that come from bad backgrounds and need a safe environment. We provide that as well as proper schooling. Willow and Robin set up the curriculum," Xander said, not feeling that THIS information was overly sensitive and it was hard not to talk about any of it.

"Who's Robin?" she asked.

"He's going to be the Principal of the high school, he's also the son of a Slayer," Xander said.

"Slayers can have children?" Joyce asked.

"Yes, they can. They're people, though because of the nature of their lives it was a rare occurrence. Robin's mother is the only one I'm aware of that was able to survive a pregnancy and I'm not sure how. I know her Watcher had to be a tremendous help,"

"Morning!" Buffy said as she came into the kitchen she gave Xander a peck on the cheek and he smiled at her.

"Morning Buff," he said taking her hand.

"So the vineyard this morning?" she asked.

"Yes, we'll have to get Giles to drive us since your mother needs to be at the Gallery," Xander replied.

"So what is at this vineyard? You weren't very clear about that last night," Joyce said as she poured orange juice.

"A weapon, for Buffy," Xander said.

"A weapon?" Joyce asked.

"Specially forged for the Slayer. It's perfection when killing vampires, in her hands at least. I hate the thing, almost put my eye out with it," he said.

Buffy chuckled at the story, "Well that will teach you not to play with a girl's toys."

"Purely business. You were hoping I might figure out how it was made, but it's metal and magic which are two things I suck at," he said.

"And you stuck to making stakes?" she asked.

"Yup," Xander said. "Of course the thing is beautiful, it's as much a piece of art as a weapon."

"Now you've got my curiosity up," Joyce said.

"You could come with us," he said.

"Don't tempt me," Joyce said.

"Let me call Giles, though it would be faster to walk than ride in his car," Buffy said.

"What's wrong with the BMW? Sure it's got some age on it…."Xander started and trailed off at the looks Buffy and Joyce were giving him. He smiled and said, "He hasn't gotten the BMW yet, I take it."

"Giles gets a BMW?" Buffy asked.

"Convertible, sweet, sweet ride," Xander said.

"I love you, that gives me MONTHS of teasing material," Buffy said hugging him tightly.

"Buffy...hugs are great, especially from you, but air!" Xander said gasping.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly as Joyce shook her head in amusement.

* * *

The ride to the vineyard was pleasant enough, even though Xander had been force by his shoulder to take the front seat leaving Buffy alone in the backseat, much to Giles's relief. Of course knowing what he knew about why Xander was here had giving him plenty of images that he wished he could scrub out of his mind.

The best part was when he started absently singing _Beer for my Horses _by Toby Keith with Willie Nelson. He'd always liked the song and it was catchy and he and Buffy tended to sing it together when they had been in silly moods. Faith had used it as yet more proof they were sleeping together. He'd admit it was a cute thing they did, but never thought it meant anything. Of course now he wondered if they had been falling in love in those months before he'd been shot.

"What is that Xand?" Buffy asked as he started the second verse.

He didn't answer because for some reason when he started singing this song he just couldn't be interrupted and even Giles seemed impressed by his singing and by the time he'd finished Buffy was openly laughing at the lyrics

"You know this song Buffy...we sing….it hasn't been written yet!" Xander said slapping his forehead.

"We sing together?" she asked.

"Yeah, you love this song. Of course you always said it was because Toby Keith is and I quote, "Such a Hottie". Personally I think it was Willie that has you all hot and bothered," Xander said with a grin.

"Willie?" she asked.

"Yes, Willie Nelson," Xander said.

"EWWWW! He's like older than Giles! Ewwwww!"

"Thank you for making me feel ready for shuffleboard and blue hair ladies," the Watcher groused.

"Teach me!" Buffy said ignoring her Watcher.

"You want to learn the song?" Xander said.

"Yes, it's fun," she said grinning.

"Ok," Xander said and by the time they reached the vineyard all three of them were singing it all the way through, even though Xander had to convince Giles to open up his pipes.

* * *

The jovial mood of the trip up was doused when they arrived at the Vineyard. Xander had far too many dark memories of the place and it showed when they arrived. The place had been abandoned for years even in the here and now and it was actually creepier than when Caleb and the First were using it as their love pad.

Buffy immediately picked up on Xander's mood changed and took his hand.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Bad memories," he said, squeezing her hand taking comfort in her touch.

"Tell me?" she asked.

"No, it's not going to happen now and there's no reason to talk about it, let's get what we came for," he said but she held him back.

"Please, it's causing you pain, Xander. Let me help," she said.

"Pot," he said pointing at her, then at himself, "Kettle. You're calling us black, Buffy."

"Huh?"

"You want me to open up about what's bothering me when you are the WORST about bottling things up," he said.

"Xander, may I have a word?" Giles said, and looked at Buffy, "Alone."

Xander nodded and reluctantly let go of Buffy's hand and followed Giles away. Once they reached a place where Slayer hearing couldn't reach Giles said, "She's going keep pressing, how much are you willing to tell her?"

"I wasn't planning on telling her we're meant to have two kids who save the world, if that's what you are talking about," Xander said.

"While I respect your decision on that I must admit I'm a bit curious as to why. It could be argued that she has a right to know and if she were to find out she may be angry that you kept it from her which would be counterproductive," Giles said.

"I want to know she loves ME, Giles. I want to know that she is with me because she WANTS to be not out of some sense of duty or obligation. I've loved her for nine years and been in lust with her once and actually in love with her twice. This is my dream come true and I don't want to have ANY doubts about our relationship," he said.

Giles put a hand on the younger man's good shoulder, "You are a very impressive young man, Xander. Buffy could do a LOT worse than you. You just need to trust yourself."

"You think I should tell her?" Xander asked.

"Not yet, she's only known you a week, but I think you should consider telling her before the inevitable happens," Giles said.

"I'll think about it. I just want Buffy to be happy and I hate that part of myself that's been doing backflips of joy at the news that we have to have children together," Xander said.

"I wouldn't read too much into that reaction, Xander. It's perfectly natural," Giles said.

"She's probably getting curious and a curious Buffy isn't a safe Buffy," Xander said.

They walked back to her and she wasn't exactly happy about being left out of the conversation.

"You seem better," she said, sounding hurt.

"A little bit, but ancillary issues to what you were asking about," Xander said taking her hand again.

"Oh, so what has you wigging here?" Buffy pressed.

"You really don't want to hear this story," he said, closing his eyes and remembering how much the events here still ate at her nine years up time.

"You keep telling me that, do you think you're a better judge of what I want than I am?" she asked.

"No, not at all. Its just… I can't ask your opinion if this is a memory you want, even second person. Once you know it you know it and ….I don't want you to regret anything I ever say to you," Xander said.

"We aren't married, or even really dating yet, but I seem to remember that wedding vows say something about better or worse. If we are ever to get there we better practice that bit," Buffy said.

Xander blinked at this, "Buffy?"

She shook her head, "Not what I mean, what I'm saying is that I need to know the darkness in you as well as the light. Otherwise I can't love you, not as completely as you deserve."

Xander nodded and said, "We lost a fight here." He paused and mulled that over a second then continued, " Correction, we got our asses handed to us here."

"What happened?"

"We were fighting the First Evil and it had a preacher working for it for the physical stuff it couldn't do. He gave you a message at one point that he had something of yours here. In hindsight it was obviously a trap. I never knew if you thought it was or not. If you did you seemed to have Obi-Wan's attitude toward traps," he paused at her look of confusion and smiled slightly. "Star Wars, in the prequels Obi-Wan reveals that his policy on traps is to spring them."

"Oh...sorry it's easy to forget that you have nine years of cultural baggage in your head," she said and motioned for him to continue.

He continued telling how they assaulted the Vineyard and how the Bringers and Caleb were waiting. He went through the battle, like he was giving an after action report. Even after two years the details were fresh enough. He watched her face crumple as he told her how Caleb killed Dianne and Molly. He hugged her.

"How old were they?" she asked.

"Molly was fourteen, Dianne was fifteen," he said his voice soft.

"I killed them," she said taking on the guilt her future self bore everyday.

"No...Caleb killed them. And they aren't dead, Molly and Dianne are alive and well in the here and now.

"This is why you didn't want to tell me?" she asked as he held her, she hadn't learned to wear the mask of leadership yet, now she was just a girl, scared of the future and the responsibility.

"Partly, there's more, it's not worse but it is more personal. That night was the second worse night of my life," he said, she wanted the truth and now that he was talking he couldn't give her nothing less than the unvarnished, raw truth.

"Oh, god...Xander. There's WORSE than this?" she asked.

"First place is a five way tie actually, and no, not talking about them today," Xander said.

"I'm so….so sorry that I dragged you in this," she said as tears flowed.

"Buffy, no...you didn't drag me anyplace I didn't want to go. Yeah there have some really dark days, but there are also the good times and I wouldn't have had those without the rest," he said.

"If my future self doesn't tell you how much she loves you everyday I'm so kicking her ass," Buffy said.

"Do you want to hear the rest of this?" Xander asked.

"Yes, I asked for it. Tell me."

"It became obvious pretty quick that Caleb was just going to kill us all if we didn't bug out, so the order was given, and we started pulling back when Caleb caught me," he paused as Buffy gasped then continued, "He called me the One Who Sees and then said he should do something about that and put his thumb into my left eye, gouging it out. Faith knocked him back and carried me out of there," he said and she broke down at his story of future pain.

"Where was I?" she asked, finally.

"Doing your job, getting the girls out of there," he said.

"You must've hated me," she said.

"No I could never hate you. You made a bad call; it happens. Just ask Custer about the Little Bighorn. You can never be all knowing when going to war and that is what that year was war with the biggest baddest bad...thing we've ever faced and you know what, Buffy?"

"What?" she asked, tears still flowing.

"You kicked its ass," he said bringing a chuckle to the crying Slayers lips.

"Let's go get this thing so you don't have to lose an eye over it, ok?" she said.

"I have to say I'm wholly in favor of this plan."

* * *

They walked down the stairs to the natural caves under the winery. Xander didn't know exactly where it was only that Buffy had said that it had been underground. Both Xander and Buffy had been quiet since he told her the story. Giles was just behind them still stunned by Xander's revelations and the fact he didn't blame Buffy, it was extraordinary and spoke up and said so.

"No it's not, anyone would've done the same," Xander replied to the Watcher.

"No, Xander, they wouldn't. Most people even after having an encounter with the supernatural just go back to sleep, however uneasy it might be. You chose at your current physical age to not ignore it. That says something about you, something extraordinary," Giles said.

"Sorry G-Man, I ain't a hero. I was horny and wanted to impress Buffy," he said knowing full well she was right there.

"Hey! You make it sound like I ignored you," she said.

"I don't know if it was because you made a promise to Willow or I just wasn't as well put together or not Buffy, but yeah, high school was kinda dry in the Buffy-thinks-I'm-a-guy category," Xander said.

"I was a fool," she said taking his hand.

"No, I was safe. The slayer in you needs a hint of danger to get you thinking about someone like that," Xander said.

"You think so?" she asked.

"I know so, Buffy. We've talked about this uptime. Without that she's not interested and it colors your emotions. Not that you aren't able to get past it, but for you to take notice of a guy he's got to have a little darkness in him," Xander said, unknowingly having paraphrased Spike from a few years up time.

"That...makes me sound...shallow," she said sounding disappointed in herself.

"No more than the rest of the human race. We all have our things that push our buttons that way. All of mine just happen to come in a nice compact Slayer package," Xander said, and grinned when Giles coughed and started cleaning his glasses.

"We should hurry," he said.

"Sorry, G-man," Xander said clasping Giles' shoulder.

"I'm not," Buffy said grinning at her Watcher's discomfort.

They continued walking and soon came into a large chamber. Inside on a rock was the Scythe. Xander couldn't help but stare at it, but his reaction was one of disinterest compared to Buffy's.

"Its...its...Xander...its…" she stammered as she stared at it.

"I know, go on. Take it, its yours," he said, patting her back reassuringly.

She walked up to the weapon and touched it reverently. Then she grasped it and pulled it free from the stone . She smiled as she held it and came over to Xander and hugged him.

"Thank you," she said.

"It's yours Buffy, I just knew where it was," Xander said.

"Yes, but you had to face some personal demons for this and you did it for me," Buffy said.

"There's a lot of people who would've done this if they had the knowledge," he said.

"Yes, but none of them had to come to a place where they lost people and an eye. You are the bravest man I've ever known," she said, hugging him tightly. Xander put his arms around her and felt like such a fake, this was easy, sure there were bad memories here, but there were bad memories all over Sunnydale.

"I'm really not, Buffy. I'm just doing what I think is right," he said.

"I think you sell yourself short, Xander, but we really should be going. I don't know about either of you, but my breakfast has abandoned me," Giles said, and the three of them left with the Scythe.

* * *

He was quiet on the ride back, the old doubts coming back and the wondering if this was fair to her. To deny her the choice of who to be with, since, without Angel he had no real competition for her attention. Then, as ridiculous as it was to think about, was the difference in their ages now. He would never look at Dawn the way he was looking at Buffy now and there was less of a difference in their ages than between him and present day Buffy. Which was another thing bugging him, if a guy his age had been sniffing one of the sixteen year old Slayers, Xander would've had a fit.

Giles trusted him though, so that had to count for something, but he was new to all of this himself. He obviously cared about Buffy, but the parental love Xander had come to associate with the Watcher wasn't there yet, it was building that was true but not to the point that Xander was used to and that caused him doubt. Would the Giles of nine years in the future see this the way his younger self was?

Then there was Buffy herself. In so many ways she was already a grown-up. The mini-Slayers he knew were getting to have childhoods because there was this huge support system in place to allow it. Buffy….she had Giles and the rest of the Scoobies and not much in the way of funding much less back up.

_Great, now I'm getting angry at the Council,_ Xander thought. But it still pissed him off. That stupid test the way they act all imperious and expect her to toe the line. She was the reason they existed and they acted like every little thing they did for her was some kind of gift. He hadn't told her about test, he'd only warned Giles not to do it and he didn't think he would. She needed to know. Her only contacts so far with the Council had been Merrick and Giles, both who actively looked out for her well being, which meant she didn't realize what a viper's nest the old Council really was. He sighed. The First had really done them a favor by destroying it. There was war on the horizon, Xander could see it, it'd been a long time since he'd been soilder boy but that experience still colored a lot of how he saw things. He knew the Council wouldn't let Buffy do things her way, but they were patient and would just wait until the inevitable happened, but after they awoke all the potentials there would be war and it would be without quarter if he knew the Council. Controlling those girls would be WAY too important to the Council for it to be any other way.

He then fell fingers on his shoulders and he closed his eyes at Buffy's touch taking comfort from it. He felt her lean forward.

"I'm sorry," she said, her breath warm against his ear.

"You have nothing to be sorry about, Buff," he said and patted her hand.

"You're tense, it was that bad?" she asked.

It took Xander to realize what she was talking about, and he closed his eyes and decided that he'd give her the truth on this, in spite of who was with them.

"It's not the Vineyard. It's what is coming," he said.

"From your memories?" she asked.

"No, just something I'm seeing on the horizon, after we activate all of the Potentials. Willow isn't ready to do it yet and won't be for years yet, but soldier guy is seeing war when we do," Xander said, not censoring himself.

"Soldier guy?" Buffy asked.

"Long story and I'll tell it when GIles isn't driving, but I'm seeing a major problem coming from the Council," he said.

"Why, aren't they the good guys?" Buffy asked.

"Giles is, Merrick was, but as a whole the Watcher's Council is an organization of self-important pompous windbags and that is me being nice. Travers has a lot to do with that as he has a way overdeveloped sense of his own importance in the scheme of things. I'm a nobody and I did more the first week you were here to defend the world that he's ever done," Xander said.

"Really?" Buffy asked.

"Really, there's a stupid barbaric test that the Council has performed on the Slayer on her eighteenth birthday where the Slayer is stripped of her powers and locked in a maze with a vampire," Xander said ignoring Giles' gasp of shock at Xander revealing this to her.

"I'm sorry Giles, but she needs to know that the Council is NOT her friend, not like we are," Xander then continued, "They wanted to perform the test on you, and it almost got you and your mother killed. Giles was fired because he didn't play along," Xander said, leaving out what really happened.

"My god Giles….I know you haven't done it yet...but thank you for trying to protect me," Buffy said and Xander knew she would've hugged the Watcher if he hadn't been driving. Giles stammered a bit and Xander spoke up.

"He loves you Buffy, you're the daughter he's never had and he couldn't bear to see you hurt," Xander said and turned a bit to look at her and saw tears in her eyes. "Not that he'd ever crack that stiff British upper lip long enough to actually admit it verbally."

Buffy chuckled at that and said, "How'd I get so lucky to have two wonderful men in my life?"

"You're you," Xander said and smiled.

* * *

"So that's it?" Jesse asked looking at the Scythe.

"Yup," Xander said as both Willow and Jesse stared at it in awe.

"It's beautiful," Willow said, tracing a finger along its spine.

"It's amazing how it feels when I hold it," Buffy said smiling at Xander.

"Shame you can't use it for everyday patrolling, even Sunnydale cops would raise an eyebrow at it," Xander said.

"Xander does have a point," Giles said as they sat in Buffy's living room.

"Yeah, it isn't exactly easy to hide," Buffy agreed. She set the weapon down and went over to Xander and started rubbing his shoulders.

Xander closed his eyes and enjoyed the touch. He was still tense from this morning, more from his realizations than the memories, but he expected to have some nightmares tonight.

"Why is Xander so tense?" Willow asked, concern coloring her voice.

Buffy waited on Xander and he appreciated her deferring to him on this, but he just nodded and said, "Tell them everything, they deserve to know, especially what we discussed in the car,"

He listened as Buffy related the story he'd told her and knew she was on the verge of tears and watched his two best friends become pale at the description of the fight at the Vineyard and by the time Buffy was finished Willow was hugging him tight and Jesse was next to him.

In fact it was getting to be a bit much and Xander said, "Guys I really appreciate how much you care, but it was two years ago, besides, two perfectly good eyes in my head."

"And they are going to stay right there, they're too nice to stare into, I don't care how dashing an eye patch makes you look," Buffy said kissing him on the forehead.

"Yes, Ma'am," Xander said.

"You've got it bad, man…" Jesse said shaking his head.

"You think my being in favor of keeping both eyeballs in my skull is a sign of me being whipped?" Xander asked with a grin.

"No, not at all, but the look on your face when you just said, 'Yes, Ma'am' does," Jesse teased.

"Would you have liked it better if I called her dear?" Xander asked.

"Would've been more honest," Jesse said.

Xander laughed as Buffy blushed at Jesse's teasing.

Giles started cleaning his glasses and Xander chuckled...these were the times that getting shot and seeing Buffy grieve over his body was worth it. He thought about that, and wondered if Buffy deserved to know about that part of his story. There was risk and he'd been convinced that not telling her was the best way to go, and obviously there was no way he could tell her all of it, not yet. Damn it, it seemed the easier things got the harder they became.

"Jesse, can I have a word a minute," Xander asked.

"Of course, bro," Jesse said.

"Excuse me, I need some guy time," Xander said as he stood and led Jesse through the kitchen and to the back and frowned when the hinges squeaked, he'd fixed that years….damnit.

"Since when do you need guy time?" Jesse asked.

"Since I spent nine years surrounded by beautiful women," Xander said.

"You gotta tell me about this," Jesse said.

"That's why I brought you out here, you know how and why I'm here, so I've got a question, should I tell Buffy?"

Jesse frowned, and said, "You've gotten deep on me, man. You've told me your reasons for NOT telling her, but at the same time I think she needs to know," Jessie said.

"Yeah, but that means telling her EVERYTHING," Xander said.

"I'm not sure I follow, you gave Giles a pretty bare bones explanation and you're talking about a nine year relationship with a girl. You've seen her at her best and her worst, hell, you've probably seen her naked in more ways than one," Jesse said.

Xander looked down and started blushing, and Jesse said, "NO WAY! You have!"

"Jesse, focus, man," Xander said.

"Was she your….first?" Jesse asked.

"Jesse! A gentleman doesn't kiss and tell and I only wish," Xander said.

"Now this has me curious," Jesse said.

"What are you, twelve?" Xander asked.

"No, worse, I'm sixteen," Jesse deadpanned.

Xander rubbed his face and knowing Jesse wouldn't drop this he said, "It was Faith."

"Faith?" Jesse said stunned.

"Yeah...I kinda save her life, she was grateful, horny and left me outside of her door in my boxers. So not how I pictured my first time. Oh dear god…." Xander said and sat down as his legs couldn't support him under the weight of THIS revelation.

"What?" Jesse said looking concerned.

"Faith, she's in Boston right now being abused by a string of bad boyfriends of her mother," Xander said closing his eyes.

"So she's going to be called as a Slayer and wind up here right?" Jesse said.

"Jesse you don't understand, for her to wind up here...she watched her Watcher be raped and ripped in half by a really nasty vampire. Diane had been like a mother to her and that's IF she gets called, for that to happen, Buffy and Kendra have to die first. I know what happened to both of them. Buffy's temporary death I think is unavoidable, but Kendra's its not going to happen the same way now, and I don't want to get into the business of letting one friend die just so I can help another," Xander said.

"So don't help them both," Jesse said, putting a hand on Xander's shoulders.

"So I should go to Boston, hope I find her and tell her what?" Xander asked.

"When you put it that way...man...I'm so glad I'm not you," Jesse said.

"The girls are waiting, we better head back in."

* * *

When they came back in Buffy saw the look on his face and came running and took him into a hug. "More bad memories?"

"No, just the crushing weight of despair cause I just realized I might not be able to save everyone I love," Xander said, too down to keep up his mask.

Buffy looked at him and said, "We'll do everything to save everyone, baby."

He chuckled, and stroked her hair, and she said, "What?"

"That's the first time you've called me that," he said, not expanding on the fact that he meant ever.

"It feels right," she said.

"Just remember, you've only known me a week, Buffy. We need to take this slow," Xander said, not really wanting to follow his own advice and wondering just how well Buffy could follow it. He knew more about Slayer psychology than anyone currently alive and knew that they tended to not be on the same schedule as the rest of the world, because of their notoriously short life spans. He knew Buffy would be around in almost ten years, but she didn't.

"I hate slow," Buffy said.

"You always have," he said and sighed and said, "Sorry to be a downer guys, I'm still processing the implications of what this all means."

* * *

Xander was anxious to get his arm out of the sling, he had all of this nervous energy that he couldn't burn off at all, much less in his preferred activities, but he was out of action for at least three more weeks, and the rehab exercises just weren't enough, so he was out walking by himself. It was still daylight, so it was reasonably safe. He really wished he could jog, but if he was able to do that he'd be able to do other things to burn off his excess energy. Not to mention get himself back into fighting trim.

He found himself walking by Willow's house and it had been a while since he'd seen her by himself and felt a little guilty about that. He went up to the front door and knocked and waited. She soon answered.

"Xander!" Willow said sounding surprised.

"Hey, Wills," Xander said, smiling at one of his oldest friends.

"Come on in," she said and Xander winced.

"Sorry, it's hard to remember not to actually invite someone in," she said, sheepishly.

"You'll get used to it. How are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm ok, it's not easy watching you with Buffy, but she really cares about you and she tries not to talk about you when we hang out, it's sweet," she said as she sat on the couch in the living room.

"That's Buffy, when she's not stressing over an apocalypse anyway," Xander said.

"We go through a lot of those?" Willow asked.

"Let's see...we just stopped one with the Harvest, Buffy is going to kill the Master, but I don't really count that as it's really more of a clean up job from the Harvest, then there was the Judge, then one that isn't going to happen cause I've already taken steps to ensure it doesn't, the Sisters of Jhe, the Mayor, Adam, Glory and the First, so that's seven and that's all before we left Sunnydale," Xander said.

"Seven, apocalypses or is that Apocalypi?" Willow asked.

"A friend once asked what does it say about our lives that we need to know what the plural of apocalypse is," Xander said with a smile.

"How's your shoulder?" she asked.

"Hurts, but I'll live. Not the first time I've dislocated it," he paused, "Or rather it IS with this body. Don't recommend time travel. It's confusing."

She laughed and hugged him, then she jumped back, "Sorry…"

"Willow, Buffy won't get jealous over us hugging. You're my best friend I WILL NOT go through life without Willow hugs, is that clear?"

She smiled a small sad smile and asked, "Am I happy in the future?"

The question surprised him for a few seconds, "Yeah, I think you are. It's not all peaches and cream, but the last time I saw you up time you were happy."

"Good," she said.

"Though you could use a shot of confidence," he said.

"Huh?" she asked.

"You are just too quiet, Willow. We may not be meant to be but you're still my best friend and I want you to be happy more often than you aren't. There's two things I want you to do, please," Xander said.

"What?" Willow asked.,

"Start taking self defense, Judo is good, in fact I have a black belt in it so I can teach you and Jesse," Xander said, smiling as the idea popped into his head. This would allow him to maintain a connection with Willow and it would really help her, too.

"Judo?" Willow asked skeptically.

"Best martial art for a normal human fighting vampires. It focuses on using an opponent's strength against them, so it doesn't require a lot of strength," Xander said.

"Ok, I guess we can try it," she said still sounding unsure.

"Good, the next thing I want you to do is talk to Miss Calendar about helping you with your magic. You will be a very powerful Wicca someday, but in my memories you never really had anyone to teach you until you got into some really dark stuff. I don't want to see that happen to you again and I think if you had someone to teach you you'd not only be a better Wicca but you'll be safer," Xander said.

"Why Miss Calendar?" she said.

"She's a technopagan, more important, unlike Giles she has practical experience with magic," Xander said.

"Oh…" Willow said and blinked when Xander suddenly swore.

"I need to talk to her, she might decide to head off to LA now," Xander said, in way of explanation.

"Why?" Willow asked and Xander winced.

"She was here to watch Angel," he said.

"Who's Angel?"

"Vampire with a soul. Champion of the Powers That Screw Us," Xander said.

"Bitter much?" Willow asked.

"Just tired of everyone that is supposed to be on our side being assholes," he said.

"Oh, so what does he have to do with Miss Calendar?" she asked.

"She's a member of the gypsy clan that cursed Angel and that curse has a loophole, if he has a moment of true happiness his soul gets repo'd leaving only the Vampire," Xander said and berated himself for all of the information he was letting out. It wasn't easy when talking to people that in his mind ALREADY knew what he was talking about.

"Ok…" Willow said, not understanding.

"She was sent here to keep an eye on him to ensure that his soul didn't fly the coop," Xander said.

"Is it safe to assume that the first time you did this that's what happened?" Willow asked.

"Yeah, cost Miss Calendar her life too," he said and sighed, "At least GIles won't have to go through that."

"Huh...you mean, GIles and Miss Calendar?" Willow asked.

"Yeah those crazy kids," Xander said with a grin.

"Wow…" Willow said.

"You CANNOT say anything, not until it becomes obvious," he said.

"Ok," she said.

"I better go now if I'm going to get home before dark," he said.

"Ok, have a good night, Xander," she said and hugged him again.

"You too, Wills."

* * *

Xander arrived at his house to find his parents drunk and passed out. He shook his head and made an ice pack for his shoulder and went to his room. He stuck the ice pack under the sling strap and did his homework, since it was coming so easy to him this time he figured he might as well do better than the D average he had the first time around. It took a couple of hours to do that. Then the phone rang and he answered the extension in his room.

"Hey," Buffy's voice came over the phone and Xander looked at the clock and frowned.

"Hey, Buffy, what's up?" he asked.

"I missed you," she said and he smiled.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yes, I also talked to Willow and wanted to tell you that your idea is a good one," she said.

"She didn't seem too sold on it," Xander said, relaxing.

"It's a great idea," she said, and Xander felt uncomfortable again.

"Can I asked you a favor?" Xander asked, pinching the bridge of his nose wondering why he just couldn't relax and enjoy loving her.

"Anything," she said.

"I want to demonstrate what I know. Obviously it'll be after my shoulder is healed but I think them seeing me throw the Slayer around the mat might help convince them that it'll work," Xander said.

"You sound awfully sure of yourself, mister," she said, her tone playful.

"That is because I have every reason to be, missy," he said, the banter feeling right, even through his doubts. It was familiar.

"And how often do you throw me around the mat?" she asked.

"About half the time, we're well matched, when I'm using Judo. With your current lack of experience though…" he trailed off with a smile.

"Xander Harris, is that a challenge?" she said. Yeah...he knew the way to a Slayer's heart, shame it took him nine years to figure it out.

"It's a useful demonstration for the mini-Slayers, especially when we get a new girl," he said, part of him glad that he could talk about this with her as it made him more comfortable.

"So I take it easy on you?" she asked.

"Not on your life, I made you swear that you go all out during those demos, otherwise they wouldn't have the impact they need to have," Xander said.

"Really?" she asked, sounding dubious.

"Yeah, really. It's about half of the time that you win those matches, but you ALWAYS have to work for it," Xander said.

"Which is what you want them to see, right?" she asked.

"Right, you'd be surprised how many of them we get that are just a little bit on the cocky side," Xander said.

"No, can't imagine that at all, so do you ever throw them around the mat?" she asked.

"That's part two of the demonstration, for some reason there's always one or two that think you ARE taking it easy on me," he said and she laughed and his heart warmed to the sound. He'd always loved her laugh.

"That's good to hear," he said.

"What is?"

"You, laughing," he said and was suddenly glad they were talking over the phone.

"Really?" she asked.

"I love your laugh, it's...I don't know how to describe it but it always makes me feel good to hear it," he said.

"Awwww…..you're sweet," she said to him and then he heard Joyce say something in the background.

"I have to go, it's time to patrol," she said sounding like she really didn't want to go.

"I know. _ Je t'amie_," he said unconsciously using a habit he'd gotten into with her after his stint in Africa.

"Xander was that French?" she asked.

"Ummm...yeah, it was," Xander said.

"And did you just say what I thought you said?" she asked.

"Depends on what you think I just said," he said.

"I think you just told me you love me," she said.

"Then you'd be right," he said.

"Where did you learn French?" she asked.

"If I get into the answer for that Buffy, you'll never get to your patrol," he said.

"Ok,_ je t'amie _yourself," she said softly.

"Goodnight, Buffy, call me when you get back please," he said.

"Ok," she said and disconnected.

* * *

Xander spent Sunday coming up with a training schedule. First was spears, his African girls really did sell him on spears, at least in the hands of normal humans. The reach and extra leverage was way too useful and he wasn't going to get into easy reach of another vampire if he could help it. He didn't know why he didn't think about it earlier but he didn't and paid the price. He couldn't afford that. The last thing he needed was to get himself or someone else killed because he was cocky. The downside to spears is that they weren't concealable, and like the Scythe weren't practical for routine patrol. However patrols should be more recon anyway. He scribbled down notes and scratched out ideas and thought.

He was starting to get stiff when Buffy called.

"Hello," Xander said answering the phone.

"What are you doing, sweetie?" Buffy said apparently trying on terms of endearment for him.

"Better now that I'm talking to you," he said and thought he could hear her smile through the phone.

"That's good what are you doing?" Buffy asked.

"Working on a training program for Jesse and Willow," Xander said.

"Is that such a good idea?" she asked.

"Oh no you don't, don't even think about it," Xander said.

"I worry about them, this isn't their responsibility. You once you train yourself back up can take care of yourself, they can't," Buffy said.

"Sorry Buffy, but joining this fight is their choice, just like it was mine. They will be involved just by being your friends and I'll be damned if they don't know how to defend themselves," Xander said.

"I just don't want them to get hurt," Buffy said.

"Great, we agree on that, we just have different ideas on how to accomplish that," Xander said.

"But what if they get overconfident?" she asked.

"Then I'll be kicking it right out of their asses," Xander said with feeling.

"Wow…" Buffy breathed.

"That got you turned on?" Xander asked.

"A little…" Buffy said sounding sheepish.

Xander sighed, and said, "You've got to trust me on this Buff. I'm a fully trained Watcher that means I know how to train people and get the most out of them without getting them killed."

"You're a Watcher?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, new council needed them cause the First did a bang up job of getting rid of the old guard," Xander said.

"The ones you don't trust," Buffy said.

"Yeah, if it wasn't the same as murder I'd just let the First off them, but there was so much lost when the Council's headquarters was bombed," Xander said.

"That's still years away though, so can we wait to worry about it?" she asked and she sounded painfully young and a twinge of guilt flowed through Buffy.

"I love you, Buffy," he said in response.

"_Je t'amie_," she said and after a pause she continued, "So where did you learn French?"

"Africa," he said, his voice dark.

"What were you doing in Africa?" Buffy asked.

"Looking for newly activated Slayers," Xander said his mood darkening as it always did when he thought of Africa.

"Bad memories?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, I was only there two years but...it's not important," he said not wanting to talk about it.

"What is it like?" Buffy asked.

Xander sighed and knew that she wasn't going to just leave it alone, "Have you ever seen _Apocalypse Now_?"

"No," she answered.

"That is the closest you can come to understanding what Africa was like for me, now can we please talk about something else?" Xander pleaded.

"Sure, Xander," she said and he could hear her heart breaking for him in her voice.

"Thank you," Xander said.

"So Willow tells me Giles and Miss Calendar?" Buffy asked.

Xander laughed, "I knew she would tell you, I just hope she keeps quiet around them."

"She thinks it's cute...in an ewww-old-people-making-out kind of way," Buffy said and they continued talking.

* * *

The next day at school Xander went into the library and found Giles there. He went over to the Watcher and asked, "Any luck in finding the monks?"

"I actually have found them. They are a small order true but not especially secretive about their existence. However when I told them about the Key their leader I think fainted. They said they would need to discuss it before actually doing it. They seemed concerned about the subjects of the spell being in the know before it is cast," Giles said.

"That doesn't sound good, it HAS to happen, Giles. Glory can't get her hands on the Key and Dawn has a right to her life," Xander said.

"You're passion about the subject is commendable, but we can't force them to do it, Xander," Giles said putting a hand on Xander's shoulder.

"You're right, but...I feel so helpless, I have friends out there right now going through hell and there isn't a damn thing I can do about it," Xander said.

"What do you mean?" Giles asked.

"Faith, she's a Slayer, called on May 12th, 1998," Xander said.

"I thought you said-" Giles began before Xander cut him off.

"I know what I said and it's the truth," Xander said.

"Then how?" Giles asked confused.

"Long story, G-Man," Xander said sighing and told him of Buffy's first death and the calling of Kendra and how Drusilla killed her. "Those events will NOT play out the same way now."

"And where is Faith right now?" Giles asked.

"Boston living the high life as the kid of a strung out single mother and there's not a damn thing I can do about it," Xander said, wiping his face.

"Who was her Watcher?"

"Diane...never got a last name out of Faith, she doesn't like to talk about her. It's painful for her," Xander said.

"There's only one Diane I know of in the Council and she wouldn't be cruel to any girl under her care," GIles said.

"Oh, I know that she's a good one, Giles. That's WHY it's painful for Faith. She watched a vampire rape and rip her in half before coming to Sunnydale," Xander said.

"The poor child," Giles said.

"Yeah then she gets here and we treat her like shit until she teamed up with the Mayor," Xander said.

"Why would that be a bad thing?" Giles asked.

"One of many bad things coming that I don't take proactive action on for a host of reasons, the top being that assassination is frowned on in America," Xander said darkly.

"So we'll end up fighting City Hall," Giles said.

"Don't worry, who ever said you can't fight City Hall never met Buffy," Xander said and enjoyed a much needed laugh with the older man.

"I'm not sure what we can do to help Faith, especially since she may never be called now," Giles said after their laughter ended.

"A part of me hates myself for thinking it, but Slayers lives are short and Kendra is a Council Slayer, she was with her Watcher for years before she was Called, she doesn't have the support that Buffy has but I don't want Kendra to die just so we have a second chance with Faith," Xander said.

"I do not envy you your situation," GIles said kindly.

"Azriel warned me that it wouldn't be easy," Xander said as the warning bell rang. "Thanks for listening to the insanity my life is."

"Anytime," Giles said.

* * *

Xander joined Buffy Willow and Jesse for lunch. Buffy pulled out a chair next to her and Xander sat between her and Jesse and took a bite out of his….mystery meat and grimaced.

"Are they TRYING to kill us?" he complained.

"This from the guy that won't let any twinkie survive his notice?" Willow asked.

"Do not diss the twinkie. The twinkie is a bite of heaven in a convenient twin wrapped package, this," he said indicating the lunch before him, "is the excrement of a Blilosh demon."

"Surely it isn't that bad," Jessie said.

"Says the man that has brought liver cheese to lunch everyday since kindergarten." Xander said as Buffy smiled at the exchange between the friends.

"Liver cheese is man food," Jesse said solemnly.

"Just so long as you believe that, bro," Xander said smiling at his friend.

"So, any word on my sister?" Buffy asked.

"Giles found the monks, but they need to discuss the matter," Xander said poking at the mystery meat.

"What's to discuss?" Willow asked.

"Apparently they are concerned about what our foreknowledge will do to the spell, which could be bad," Xander said.

"How bad?" Buffy asked.

"Bad enough that they can't do it which means that Glory will get the Key in its non-human form, use it in the most fumble fingers way possible and destroy the world," Xander said darkly, his good mood fading.

"That bad?" Buffy asked.

"Possible, but I don't think its going to be. He wouldn't have sent me back if it was going to make things worse," Xander said again forgetting to censor himself. His comfort with his friends was making that difficult.

"Who?" Buffy asked sounding excited at the prospect of getting more information about her...what were they? Xander wasn't sure.

"Not important, but he's on our side," Xander said.

"Nice to know we've got backup," Buffy said.

"Don't expect much more than a rah rah from the sidelines, Buff," Xander said.

"Oh…" Buffy said and frowned. Then the bell rang and the friends went off to class.

* * *

"...so that's what I propose, once I get my arm back," Xander said after he outlined his plan to train them. Buffy looked uncomfortable at the thought of her friends involved at that level.

"You seem to have a solid plan on how to go about this, but I have to say I have my doubts," Giles said.

"What kind, G-Man?" Xander asked.

"They are children, Xander," he said.

"Hey! Sitting right here," Willow said indignant.

"So am I," Xander said.

"You are a twenty five year old trapped in a sixteen year old body, you are hardly a child," Giles said.

"Point, but the first time around I was right where Jesse and Willow are now and I remember just wanting to help, I also remember you and Buffy not being able to stop us. All I'm suggesting is some training to keep the injuries down. LIke it or not we're the heirs of the Council and the more experience we have the better it will be for the girls that will be called," he said.

"You do make a compelling case, Xander, but first you need to heal as you've stated," Giles said.

"You sure you are up to this?" Buffy asked.

"Buffy, just before I came back we had thirty-four girls with us, all from troubled backgrounds and all of them Slayers, yes I can handle training my best friends," he sounded annoyed.

"Sorry," she said.

"So would Dawn be in this training?" Jesse asked.

"Depends on how old she is, if she's ten just basics, if she's fourteen I don't see any reason she shouldn't be included in the full monty," Xander said.

"WHAT?" Buffy shouted.

"Buffy, Dawn is as much a part of this as you are," he said.

"No...I'm supposed to be protecting her, remember?" Buffy said and Xander was surprised at just how much she'd taken to the idea of Dawn.

"Yeah, and you can't be everywhere Buffy. She got into PLENTY of trouble the first time around and not just because of Glory," Xander said.

"Like how?" she asked.

"Well there was the Halloween she almost got changed because her date turned out to be a vampire," Xander said.

"What?!" Buffy shreiked.

"Yeah...that was about your reaction when it happened," he said.

"What else?"

"She did her freshman year at the new Sunnydale High, built by yours truly right on this site. In fact we're standing where the Principal's office will be," Xander said, "Her FIRST day she ran into a ghost with a bad attitude. She survived all of that and more because of two things," he said, his voice intense.

"What?" Buffy asked.

"First she's naturally intelligent and resourceful and second was you. Your example," he said.

"But…" Buffy began and trailed off.

"It isn't your job to raise her Buffy, but you CAN help her by making sure she has the skills your mother CAN'T teach her. Besides, she'll love it. She adores you and the ONE thing she wanted more than anything was to be able to spend more time with you," Xander said.

"How do you do that?" she asked as Jesse and Willow stared in shock.

"Do what?" he asked.

"Rip me a new one and make me feel special at the same time?" she asked.

"Lots of practice," he said with a small smile and was surprised when a familiar voice called out.

"Hi guys! Whatcha doing?"

"How'd you get here so fast?" Buffy asked the newcomer.

"Janice's mom dropped me off."

"Well stay out from underfoot, Dawn," Buffy said.

**AN: So how old should Dawn be? Ten or fourteen?**


	3. Everyday Weirdness

**AN: I have to say that I've been floored by the positive response to this overactive plot bunny. I'm really glad that everyone is enjoying this distraction from my novel. It really is special when a story receives the response this one has.**

**I have seen a running theme in the comments though that I would like to share MY thoughts on. Ho Several of my good readers have made suggestions about what Xander can be doing with his knowledge of the future. The problem with this is that memories are tricky things. You have to be thinking about them then you have to make the connection to action. Case in point, someone suggested that Xander warn Cordy about her father's coming trouble with the IRS. There is a couple of problems with this. One Xander would need to think about it, second he'd need to convince Cordy of the truth of it and third she'd have to listen to him. That is a tall order.**

**Someone else mentioned the swag that was with the Gem of Amara, Xander never saw any of that nor did he know where Spike found it, not exactly also it was 5 years ago from his perspective. Its not like he was able to bring notes and maps with him when Az slammed him back into his body. Then there is the Hyena possession. When something traumatic happens like a car wreck, you might remember the wreck and the month it occured in, but unless there was an unrelated event to attach the wreck to, you probably won't remember the exact date without help.**

**Take 9/11 for instance, everyone who was alive on that terrible day has had the date seared into our heads because of the media coverage of those events. However the first car wreck I was ever in I couldn't tell you the date it was to save my life. I know it was in summer, probably June but beyond that I have no references to pin it down. I can describe the wreck in complete detail as to what happened, but don't remember the date. **

**This relates to the Hyena thing. It occured on a school field trip to the zoo. How many of those have Xander been on? For all we know it was an annual event that Joss didn't show us any others as NOTHING interesting happened on them. **

**Anyway, sorry about the lengthy note. I just felt the need to explain my take on Xander's memories. One should keep in mind that he can't just go to Netflix and watch his life unfold. :)**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

"I'm glad you're making friends, Dawn," Buffy said as her sister entered the room.

"I'm not making friends, what's the point? You'll just get kicked out again and we'll have to move again." Dawn said after she sat down.

"That isn't going to happen, Dawn," Buffy said, with conviction.

"Oh yeah, you got kicked out of your last school, forced us to move, why should I think it won't happen again?" Dawn said bitterly. "When you do it this time can you just kill someone so we won't have to move again?"

"Dawn Marie Summers! That's enough," Xander snapped forgetting that he'd only know the ten year old a week.

"And who do you think you are? You aren't my father or brother or anything," Dawn shot back as Jesse and Willow stared in shock.

Xander was taken back by that statement and realized that he had NO authority with Dawn, not yet.

"No, I'm not but that was mean and I'm your sister's friend and I don't let anyone hurt my friends, got that?" Xander said falling into the tone he used with mini slayers that got rowdy.

"It's the truth, she a juvenile delinquent," Dawn said.

Xander ran his hands through his hair as Buffy shouted, "I'm a WHAT?" Oh yeah, this was shaping up to be a class five Summers fight, time to nip in the bud now.

"Buffy, can I talk to you in Giles' office a moment?" Xander asked before Dawn could respond.

"Huh?" Buffy asked.

"Please, talk to me in Giles' office," Xander asked again now that he had her attention.

"Sure," she said.

"Great, ignore the ten year old and go make suck face with each other," Dawn said crossing her arms.

Xander ignored the comment and led Buffy to GIles' office and he noticed Giles followed. Once the door was closed Buffy went over to Xander and he put his arms around her and she started to cry.

"She's just angry," Xander said while Giles watched.

"She's right," Buffy said through her tears.

"No she's not, she doesn't know the truth, and I'm not sure why. I have no memories of her prior to her walking through the door, at least not in this timeline," Xander said.

"You don't remember that Dad kept her while Mom and I were setting up the house? But she wasn't there was she?" Buffy asked.

"No, she wasn't, so you do remember the talks we had about her, good. Which leaves the question of why wasn't I affected?" Xander asked.

"Possibly because you've been affected once by the spell," Giles said.

"Ok, that makes sense, but I'm really glad that we didn't wait, I'd have hated to have to figure out four years of altered memories," Xander said.

"What are we going to do with her?" Buffy asked.

"I think we should tell her," Xander said.

"Tell her what?" Buffy asked.

"Everything, I've been thinking and I don't see any reason she shouldn't know," Xander said.

"Everything?" Buffy asked.

"Well, everything you know," Xander said crossing his arms.

"So about me being the Slayer, her being the Key and being flesh and blood for probably only the last five minutes?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, but I don't want to do anything without your ok," Xander said.

"You didn't seem to have any problems with that when it came to Mom," Buffy said.

"Hey, I THOUGHT you were ok with it, you're the one who changed her mind after I opened my big mouth," Xander said.

"Sorry," she said, "It's just they are all I have."

"No they aren't Buffy, we're all your family and we all love you," he said and hugged her and kissed her forehead.

"What about Mrs. Summers, shouldn't she be consulted on what to tell her daughter?" Giles asked.

"Crap…" Xander said mentally kicking himself for forgetting Joyce was still alive.

Buffy scrunched up her face and said, "Xander, what's wrong?"

"Just kicking myself for forgetting about your mother," Xander said.

"Why would you forget about her, but think about me?" Buffy asked her voice thoughtful.

"You were here and she's not?" Xander said, leaning against the wall.

"What is going on, Xander?" she demanded.

"Buffy, you may not wish to hear this," Giles said, his voice calm.

"I'm getting tired of hearing that. I get it, the future sucks bad things happen, but I can't not know things that you both know!"

"Buffy, please, not this one," Xander said, knowing he was losing this one even as he fought against it, she knew there was something and she was like a bulldog now.

"Xander, I like you...alot, but if this attraction is going to turn into more...if you love me, you'll tell me, everything," she said and he saw the fear in her eyes as she laid that gauntlet down.

Xander closed his eyes and rubbed his face, "This isn't easy cause you are talking about one of the worst days of my life, one of the ones in the number one position," Xander said, tears forming in his eyes as he thought about that horrible day and the days that followed. He took a breath and two tears fell and Buffy gasped.

"She dies," she breathed.

"Yes," Xander said, his voice tight with remembered pain and the pain of knowing that he's going to go through it all again.

"How do we stop it?" she asked.

"We don't Buffy, we can't," Xander said, wishing he wasn't having this conversation feeling guilty at being forced to break his promise to the one woman who was more of a mother to him than his own.

"What kills her? We'll find it and I'll kill it," she said, determined.

"Its not like that, Buffy. She wasn't killed by anything Hellmouthy. I'm so so sorry, but I don't see a way to prevent it. If I did I'd be leading the charge on it, believe me," Xander said, tears freely falling.

"No….how? When?" she asked, as her face crumpled.

"Giles, the blinds please," Xander said and then took Buffy into his arms and held her and kissed her forehead gently, opening crying now and said, "It's a little under four years from now, she had been sick, brain tumor. The doctors operated and she seemed to be fine after that, but the trauma to her brain caused an aneurysm. There was nothing anyone could've done, nothing we can do, they caught the original tumor when it was small, it's probably not even there right now." He held her as they both cried for a death that hadn't happened yet.

"You were close with my Mom?" she asked, as he held her.

"Yes, in many ways she was more a mother to me than my own mother, she's a really special woman one I've always been glad to have had in my life," Xander said.

"You know so much pain and yet you came back anyway to….do what?" she asked.

"I've said before that I will answer that before we...you know, but not yet," Xander said.

"Fair enough, I don't think I could take any more future badness right now. How do you go on with it?" she asked, awe in her voice.

"It's both easier and harder than you'd think. For instance, for me, Joyce's passing is over five years in the past, I missed her before I came back and you, Dawn, Willow everyone who knew her did tremendously. You and Dawn always did something together on the anniversary of her death, it was the one of the days you allowed her to drink even though she's not 21 yet, in fact I think we've kinda put the notion that alcohol is only for death," Xander said.

Buffy chuckled slightly, "Maybe that was the plan."

He smiled at her, "Maybe so. Giles, could we have a few moments of privacy, please? I'm sorry you had to sit there through that."

"Of course, any support I can offer, I will," Giles said, and Xander knew he felt like he was intruding on their pain, and at the moment he was, but Xander knew that he was as deeply affected by Joyce's passing as any of the Scoobies. Xander surprised the Watcher by giving him a hug and said, "I know you feel alienated right now, but you are as much my family as Buffy and Joyce are, don't you forget it, G-Man."

"Hmmm, yes….thank you Xander. I'll just be going now," Giles said as he left his office.

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Buffy asked.

"Did what?" Xander asked.

"Made him uncomfortable," she said.

"Ok...so I killed two birds with one stone, doesn't mean I didn't mean it," he said.

"_Je t'amie_," she said.

"_Je t'amie trop_," he said and tilted her face up to his and lowered his lips to hers, they soon met and they shared their first real kiss. It was everything Xander had imagined it would be as their lips gently caressed each other, they stayed that way for an unmeasured length of time, and Xander's heart was racing. Buffy softly moaned into the kiss and then they parted.

"Wow," she said.

"Worth the wait," Xander said with a smile.

"Definitely, I'm almost feeling guilty about taking you off the market," she said with a smile.

"You could always share if you were so inclined," he joked.

She slapped his arm playfully, "No, you're all mine."

"I think I can live with that, we better get moving, we've got a lot to discuss with your Mother," Xander said.

"One more before we have to go?" Buffy asked and Xander obliged.

They left Dawn with Giles and headed to the Gallery, when they arrived Joyce was busy with a customer so they looked around.

"You know, I don't think I was ever here the first time around," Xander said.

"Really?"

"Yeah, never was an art guy," and he held up a statue of a fertility god wincing, "And I think I'm glad. I've seen DEMONS more attractive than this."

"Yeah, that one isn't the best example," Buffy agreed with a chuckle at his reaction.

"Hi, kids, where's Dawn?" Joyce asked.

"She's at school with Giles," Buffy said, then hugged her mother tight.

"Oh...ok, what was that for, honey?" Joyce asked, not sounding like she was entirely happy with Dawn being left at the school.

"Can't I just be happy to see you?" Buffy asked.

"We wouldn't have left her if we didn't need to talk to you about her without her around," Xander said feeling really guilty.

"What's going on?" Joyce asked.

"Well obviously, the monks decided to do the spell, but she doesn't know anything about life on the Hellmouth," Buffy said.

"Well, I was curious about that, but that isn't what I was talking about," Joyce said crossing her arms and looking at Xander, who'd found his shoes very interesting.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Summers. She guessed and I confirmed. I can't lie to her," Xander said.

"I see, so she knows?" Joyce asked.

"Fraid so," Xander said.

"She KNOWS?" Buffy shouted.

"Not so loud, Buffy," Xander said and then continued, "Yes, she knows. She guessed it at the Harvest."

"You suck at keeping things secret, you know that?" Buffy said.

"Still better than Willow," Xander said.

"Not by much," Buffy said with a smirk.

"Ok, enough about this depressing topic, what about Dawn, why do you want to tell her?" Joyce asked.

"Mrs. Summers, she's going to find out sooner or later about them, she lives on the Hellmouth, hence wacky weirdness and she's going to be present for some of it you can't stop that," Xander said.

"I just don't know, she's just ten, Xander," Joyce said.

"Xander's right, Mom, its just a matter of time before my work follows me home," Buffy said.

"Yeah, oh and now that I'm thinking about it, can you remind me to fix your back door? I noticed it was squeaking," Xander said.

"Fix the backdoor?" Joyce said.

"Xander's a master carpenter," Buffy said, pride in her voice. Which caused some to swell in Xander. He'd always been proud of his job, but hearing Buffy speak with pride about what he did...it was ALMOST as good as their first kiss.

"Oh really?" Joyce asked sounding impressed.

"Yes, but my vocation isn't why we're here," Xander said getting a little embarrassed.

"Right," Buffy said, smiling at his growing blush.

"So how much do you want to tell her?" Joyce asked.

"Pretty much everything," Xander said.

"Even the parts about her being…" Joyce paused as a customer came in and finished with, "adopted."

"Everything, Mrs. Summers. Though I think it would be best to have this conversation with you there," Xander said.

"I agree, I'll be there in an hour at most," she said then went to help the new customer.

"So my mother knows but you didn't tell me?" Buffy asked.

"I didn't so much tell her as she guessed," Xander said as they walked.

"You're such a mystery. You come back in time for no reason I can discern, yet I know there has to be one from the way you talk. You have all of this information that you are keeping, yet it comes out anyway. My question is why? Why are you here?" Buffy asked.

"I promised you that I would tell you before we got serious, Buffy. I mean that, it's just...it's only been a little over two weeks and thinking about what led to me being here….I wouldn't be able to talk about it and stay intelligible," Xander said.

"Talking about it would make you stupid?" Buffy asked, scrunching up her face.

"I've been hanging around Giles too long, I meant that I'd be crying too hard to be understood," Xander said, chuckling then he sobered and tears formed in his eyes. "Even thinking about it almost sends me over the edge."

"Then maybe you should let it," Buffy said, taking his hand.

"Maybe so, but it doesn't mean that its easy to let go like that," he said sniffling.

"I hope someday you feel comfortable enough around me to let yourself go," Buffy said.

"I already do, but telling you will...well, long conversation. You'll have questions, and I know you won't like the answers," he said as they walked.

"It's that bad?" Buffy asked looking concerned.

"Yeah, it's that bad," Xander said.

"Then you should get it over with," she said.

"You think?" Xander asked looking at her.

"Yeah, I think. You've said you're going to tell me anyway, so why not?" Buffy asked.

"For a lot of reasons, most of which you wouldn't understand without knowing. One of them just became moot though," Xander said squeezing her hand.

"Mom's death has something to do with it?" Buffy asked.

"Indirectly….ah hell," Xander said.

"What?" she asked.

Xander shrugged, "The truth is my heart wants to tell you so bad, but my head's telling me it's a bad idea."

"Does your heart lead you astray often?" she asked.

"No, but my head sure has," Xander said, sighing.

"Sounds like that's decided then," Buffy said.

"I guess it does, doesn't it. I wish Tara was here, I could use her advice," Xander said.

"Who's Tara? Not another mystical sister, right?" Buffy asked.

"Well, she is pretty mystical, but she was born the old fashioned way. She's a good friend. One of too many we've had to bury," Xander said.

"Oh...lots of that?" Buffy asked looking down.

"Too much of it," Xander said sighing.

"So, why are you here?" she asked.

Xander closed his eyes and sighed, "I hope I don't regret this, but it feels right telling you. I'm here because of you."

"Me?" Buffy asked.

"Well more specifically, your children, ones that you should have had and didn't," Xander said.

"Why didn't I have them?" Buffy asked her voice fearful of the coming answer.

"Their father was killed before they were conceived. Shot by a scared mugger," Xander said, his tone neutral.

"Did I know their father that...never was?" Buffy asked her voice quiet.

"Very well, he'd save your life a few times, you'd saved his more. He'd make you laugh, you'd drive him crazy, but he was always there for you," Xander said, his voice still flat.

"Sounds like he was a great guy, have I met him yet?" she asked, her voice with a hopeful tone.

"Yeah, you have," Xander said.

"I see. So how'd you wind up back here?" Buffy asked.

"An angel," Xander said.

"So an angel decided to send you back to high school?" Buffy asked.

"Pretty much, seems there's a lot that went wrong the first time around," Xander said.

"So, you were shot by a mugger?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, kinda embarrassing really. Nine years fighting monster three and more times stronger than I am and the only thing I lose is an eye, but some desperate guy with a gun and police siren fear does me in," Xander said.

"How?" Buffy asked.

"Actually we were walking home, I had taken you to the movies. It was the anniversary of Joyce's death. Dawn couldn't get away cause she'd JUST been assigned her slayer in Washington state and Tessa had school. I guess you had to fight to get Dawn to stay put. I stayed on the other side of the school while THAT discussion was going on," Xander said, grinning at the memory.

"Dawn wanted to come back?" Buffy asked.

"It was the fifth anniversary of her death, yeah, she wanted to be there for you, but funds just wouldn't permit her to come back just for a day or two. Not when she'd just been back with Tessa for Christmas. Anyway, in spite of you convincing her to stay, I knew you were bummed not having her home for it. Heart and Head in conflict," he said, starting to warm up to telling her now that he was talking.

"So money is tight?" Buffy asked.

"We're feeding thirty-four teenaged slayers, tight isn't the word," Xander said.

"Oh…" Buffy said.

"It's not as bad as I make it sound, but there wasn't a way to justify Dawn flying back to Cleveland just to eat chunky monkey with her sister and watch sappy movies while thinking about their mother. Your words, not mine. I was all for Dawn coming back 'cause I know how much it meant to you and it WAS the fifth anniversary of her death, but you didn't want to take advantage of your responsibilities. Which meant you were really down that night and I decided to cheer you up," Xander said, they found a bench in front of the school and had sat down.

"What did you do?" she asked.

"Took you to the movies, sappy romance, don't remember what it was called; the popcorn was good though," Xander said and Buffy laughed.

"What about the company," Buffy asked.

"She must've been tired because she used me as a pillow the whole movie," Xander said smiling at the memory.

"Maybe you just make a good pillow?" Buffy said.

"Nah...too lumpy," Xander said then he sobered again. "It was a good night, one of the best I've ever had. You were feeling better. All was right with the world, then…"

"Then you were shot," Buffy said darkly.

"Yeah. Don't remember getting shot, or anything after the gun went off. It was, bang then I was in the hall of an intensive care unit in a Cleveland hospital. Azriel was there and introduced himself," Xander said.

"Azriel?" Buffy asked.

"Angel of Death," Xander said.

"The Angel of DEATH?" Buffy said.

"Hey, he's a nice guy."

"Okay…."

"Anyway, he told me you were in with...well me. He suggested it wouldn't be a good idea to go into the room my body was in, but I couldn't not," he said, his eyes started to glisten. "Seeing you in that room was...the hardest thing I ever had to watch." His lips began to tremble as the first tears fell. Buffy hugged him until he started again.

"You begged me to stay and I wanted to. You told me that you were finally ready and that if I just lived you'd make every day one I was glad I did. You held my hand and kissed me and cried. Then Dawn came in," Xander said as the emotion overcame him again.

Once he settled down a little, Buffy asked, "She catch an emergency flight?"

Xander chuckled through his tears, "Not exactly, she caught Willow Air."

"Willow owns an airline?" Buffy asked, confused.

"No, Willow and her coven was teleporting everyone to Cleveland," Xander said, laughing at her confusion.

"Teleporting?" Buffy asked.

"Willow's a powerful Wicca in my time, remember?" Xander said then continued his tale. "You left to get a drink, I don't know how long you'd been in there with me, but I'm sure you had things to take care of and felt free to do so with Dawn there. Dawn told me pretty much the same thing you had, that you were ready and that she was about to get a brother in law, but I had to live first. She then kissed me on the forehead and you came in with a comment that I'm not sleeping beauty. You two talked a bit and then broke down crying. I held both of you while you cried, then you had to leave," he said, tears flowing down his face. He didn't bother to wipe them.

"Oh...Xander, that's awful," Buffy said, also crying.

"Not something I want to do again anytime soon, but I'm glad he let me," he said.

"So what happened then?" Buffy asked.

"Now comes the part you'll hate," Xander said, looking at her.

"It gets worse?" Buffy asked as Joyce came up to the school from the Jeep.

"Looks like we'll have to finish this later," Xander said.

"You aren't getting off the hook, you know that, right?" Buffy said.

"I know, but I don't want to go through this with your mom waiting on us," Xander said and stood. "I need to run to the restroom real fast, and you should too."

Xander beat Buffy back to the library and Dawn was looking daggers at him as her mother sat there. He fought not to roll his eyes at the ire of the ten year old. He was glad that she was here, even if she was being a bit of a brat right now. Of course she had every right to feel the way she did. From her perspective she HAD been uprooted from everything she knew, her friends her school to a new town to start over and the reason was her older sister was a fire bug.

"Ok, everyone except Dawn knows what is going on, so we'll wait on Buffy then explain it to her," Xander said.

"Everything?" Willow asked.

"Everything, I've already discussed it with Buffy and Mrs. Summers and….they can't think of any better alternatives," Xander said.

Buffy then came in looking less like she'd been crying, she sat next to Xander and took his hand, and squeezed it. Xander smiled at her and then said, "Ok, do we want to start with Buffy or Dawn?"

"I think it would make more sense to start with Buffy," Giles said.

"I agree, Dawn's story is tied to it," Buffy said.

"Ok, then Giles you're up. Dazzle the ten year old," Xander said.

Giles laid out Buffy being the Slayer in quick fashion. Dawn wasn't impressed.

"So my sister fights vampires?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Yes, which brings us to you, and your origins," Xander said.

"EWW! You're going to give me a birds and bees talk? Mom!" Dawn wailed.

"It's a bit more sanitary than how the rest of us came into the world, Dawnster," Xander said.

"Huh?" the girl asked.

"Up to sometime this afternoon you were a glowing ball of green energy known as the Key. We asked the monks that were tasked with protecting it to send it to us, in the form of you," Xander said.

"Wha? Mom he's crazy right?" Dawn asked her mother.

"No, sweetheart, he's not. He's telling the truth," Joyce said gently.

"So I'm not real?" Dawn asked.

"He never said that, Dawnie. You are VERY real and very special. Everyone at this table loves you and wants what is best for you," Buffy said.

"So...what do I do?" Dawn asked.

"You don't have super powers, I'm sad to say, but there are bad people out there that want the power of the Key, so we had the monks send you to us so we could keep you safe. A large part of that is that now you are Dawn and not just the Key they won't know where to look for you," Xander said.

"So...why am I here then?" she asked.

"Sweetheart, that is for you to decide. You're a person now with all the rights and responsibilities that entails," Joyce said, hugging Dawn.

"So I still have to go to school?" Dawn asked.

"Fraid so, Dawn Patrol," Xander said, falling into old habits.

"So how did you know about me?" she asked.

"That's on me. I'm actually from nine years in the future and I missed you," Xander said.

"You missed me?" Dawn asked.

"Yeah, I did. I love you, Dawn. You, your mom, your sister. Willow, Jesse, Giles. You're all my family 'cause my biological one kinda sucks," Xander said and Buffy hugged him.

"So, you know the future?" Dawn asked.

"I know one way it played out. Things started changing from the moment I arrived, hopefully for the better and you're part of those changes," Xander said.

"Ok, so, who do I marry?" Dawn asked.

"You were only nineteen when I came back Dawn," Xander said somewhat floored by this question.

"So did I have a boyfriend?" Dawn asked.

"Aren't you a little young to be worried about that?" Xander asked.

"I tend to agree with that sentiment," Joyce said.

"Oh come on, like the rest of you haven't asked," Dawn said.

"I've refused to tell them," Xander said.

"You are no fun," Dawn said.

"I'm LOADS of fun. You haven't seen the Snoopy Dance yet," Xander said.

"OOOOO, the Snoopy Dance!" Willow said excitedly.

"Down, Wills, not until Christmas," Xander said.

"Dawn's right, you are no fun," Willow said earning a grin from Dawn.

"Alright then, as fascinating a subject as Xander is, Buffy has patrol, a Miss Vanderhoven was buried tonight and I suspect she might rise tonight," Giles said.

"I just get my sister and I have to work?" Buffy asked.

"I am afraid so," Giles said.

"Can I come watch?" Dawn asked.

"NO!" all of the people over ten said at once.

"No fun, what's the point in having a superhero for a sister if I can't watch?"

Xander and Buffy left the school together and walked in silence, it had been an emotional day for both of them. Buffy held Xander's hand as they walked. When she started down his street he stopped.

"I'm coming with you tonight," Xander said.

"No you aren't, you aren't healed yet nor are you in shape," Buffy said.

"Yes I am, I have a few things to show you and we're just after a newbie tonight," Xander said.

"But there might be more out there!" Buffy protested.

"Trust me, I won't get myself killed. Doubt we'd run into any muggers in a cemetery after all," Xander said.

"That isn't funny," Buffy said.

"Sorry, I just wanted to talk to you," Xander said.

"About why you're here, we did get interrupted earlier," Buffy said.

Xander sighed, "Yeah, we did. Where did I get to?"

"Dawn and I were crying over your dying body," Buffy said, looking down.

"Right, so the two of you were kicked out of my room and since I really didn't feel like talking to myself I went out to talk to Az," Xander said.

"You went to have a conversation with the Angel of Death?" Buffy asked.

"He's a nice guy," Xander said.

"That is just weird, Death being a people person," Buffy said.

"He is, anyway, he has a bit of a tale to tell me and decides that it would be best told at the gates of Heaven," Xander said.

"You were going to Heaven?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, still am I suppose, not planning anything that would knock me out of it," Xander said.

"Fair enough," Buffy said.

"So he takes me to Heaven and there are two people waiting on us. Their names were Tara Joyce and Jesse Riley Harris," Xander said.

"Tara Joyce and Jesse Riley Harris?" Buffy said slowly.

"Yeah, they both called me Dad," Xander said, tears coming to his eyes at the memory.

"Wow...Xander, that's...you named your daughter after Mom?" Buffy asked.

"WE named OUR daughter after Tara and your Mom," Xander said.

"Our daughter, the one that was never born born because you were killed," Buffy said looking down.

"And our son," Xander said hugging her as she wept for the children she should've had.

"Jesse Riley. Who's his middle name from?" Buffy asked.

"A good friend of ours, he helped us stop an apocalypse," Xander said.

"Is he dead too?" Buffy asked.

"Last I knew him and Sam were still kicking," Xander said.

"Sam?" Buffy asked.

"Samantha, his wife," Xander said.

"Ah...good friends?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, we help them, they help us. Demon hunters," Xander said.

"Is this hard for you?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, I'll never get to see those kids grow up, the circumstances of their births...it's going to be different this time," he said, tears falling down his face.

"So we were supposed to get married?" Buffy asked.

"Never asked that, actually. Tara's conception was rather spur of the moment, at least according to her," Xander said, smiling through his tears at the memory.

"Really?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, guess the night I was shot you were planning on having your way with me," Xander said, blushing.

"Oh….oh my," Buffy said blushing in turn.

"You've never been shy about going after what you want," Xander said as they reached the grave for Miss Vanderhoven.

"So here is Miss Vanderhoven, may she rest in peace," Buffy said.

"Would be better for us if she did," Xander agreed.

"How do you feel about all of this? Our kids supposed to save the world?" Buffy asked.

"Scared, proud, more scared, sad, more proud," Xander said.

"Sad?" Buffy asked.

"That they would have had to deal with this too, that they didn't have a normal life. I know how much you wish you did and there's no way they would, not with us as their parents and our responsibilities," Xander said sadly.

"You don't have to do this. Not like I do," Buffy said..

"At what cost? You and Dawn are my family, Buffy and not just because we ended up together. No, I'm in for the long haul, I made my choice and I don't regret it. That doesn't mean I like the notion of our kids NOT having that same choice. Being raised with this stuff, how could they not be involved?"

"They have the same choice you do, Xander, they can walk away too," Buffy said.

"Away from the only family they know? No, with me and you raising them they'll have two perfect examples of Duty, not to mention everyone else," Xander said.

"You sound like you are having second thoughts," Buffy said.

"No, not really. Just feeling guilty about it is all," Xander said.

"I wonder what it's like Slaying while pregnant?" Buffy asked in a non sequitur.

"Shame we can't ask Robin's mom," Xander said.

"Robin?" Buffy asked.

"He'll be principle of the High School when Dawn starts. His mother was a Slayer," Xander said.

"Oh…." Buffy said.

"Yeah, Spike killed her when he was four," Xander said.

"The world gets weirder every day," Buffy said.

"You haven't seen anything yet, in fact when Miss Vanderhoven wakes up I've got someplace to show you," Xander said with a smirk.

"Really?" Buffy said.

"Yeah," Xander said.

Buffy wiped her hands from the vampire dust and looked at Xander, "What?"

"What do you mean what?" Xander said.

"You've got Giles face," Buffy said.

"Giles face?" Xander asked.

"Yes, the look he gets on his face when he's about to lecture me," Buffy said giving him an old fashioned look.

"Well, it's just that you were dropping your elbow and your footwork needs...work. You should have been able to stake that newbie in about ten seconds, and it took you five minutes. I could have slayed her faster than that if it wasn't for my arm," Xander said.

"That sounds like a challenge," Buffy said with a grin.

"Ok, missy, you're on. When I'm healed up I'm going to show you how it's done," Xander said grinning.

"Now where are we going?" Buffy asked.

"You'll see when we get there," Xander said and the pair took off. They walked for about ten minutes chatting about fun stuff then they arrived at their destination.

"A bar? Gee honey you take me to the most interesting places on our dates," Buffy said, wrinkling her nose.

"Sorry, this is business not pleasure," Xander said walking up to the door.

"Xander, what are you doing?" Buffy asked as his hand touched the door.

"Going in, and you need to come with me, I'd do it myself but…" he pointed to his arm.

"Do what?" Buffy asked.

"Just let me do the talking, you just stand there and look beautiful," Xander said and waited a beat and just as a scowl started forming he added, "and angry."

Buffy rolled her eyes and followed him in. The place smelled as bad as it looked. It was dark and there wasn't anyone in the bar except a short weasley looking human.

"Willy! How's tricks!" Xander said expansively, knowing that Willy didn't know him from Adam.

"Who are you kid?" Willy asked. "Can't be in here to drink, you don't even look old enough to drive."

"Willy, I'm hurt. I come here with a business proposition and you make fun of my age," Xander said.

"Who's the chick?" Willy asked.

"Oh...she's just the Slayer. There's a new sheriff in town Willy and I know you are civic minded," Xander said, dropping the goofball act on the word Slayer.

"Slayer huh? Didn't know they were that cute. You do realize that they tend to have limited shelf lives though, right kid?" Willy said.

"Maybe, but while she's here she can make your life very uncomfortable. Like a full body cast," Xander said.

Buffy stepped forward, picking up on what Xander was doing. Xander was glad she was hiding her confusion well, or maybe she was really pissed. Hard to tell.

"Hey, no need to get hasty, I can listen," Willy said holding up his hands.

"Good. Now here's the deal, we'll be in every week and you tell us anything interesting that you overhear that we need to know. You do that and the Slayer doesn't use you as a punching bag," Xander said and had to hold down a grin as Buffy whimpered at him saying she couldn't hit him.

"You a little young to be a Watcher, aren't you?" Willy asked.

"I'm not her Watcher, I'm her boyfriend. You don't want to meet Watcher, SHE'S nice compared to him. Trust me, you don't want Ripper Giles in here," Xander said and the smell of urine his his nose as the distinct sound of liquid hitting the floor rang through the bar.

"You're right, I AM civic minded, very civic minded," Willy said.

Xander walked over to Willy and patted him on the cheek, "Good, I knew you were good people, Willy. See you next week."

"You want to tell me what that was about?" Buffy asked as they headed to Xander's house.

"We've found that a Slayer is at her best when she acts like a cop," Xander said.

"A cop?" Buffy asked sounding doubtful.

"Of course. Think about it, you stop bad guys, so does a cop, you investigate crime, so do cops. You eat a lot of donut..oaf!" Xander said as Buffy hit him lightly on the arm. "What it's true!"

"I don't like thinking of myself with that much power," Buffy said.

"Then you aren't getting why I'm using the analogy. The Slayer can be one of three things Buffy. One, she can be nothing but an unthinking weapon aimed by her Watcher; two, she can be a hardened killer who's just in it for the kill, or, three, she can do it because it helps people. I KNOW which of those three you are, Buffy and it's the model we've trained the other girls to," Xander said.

"I still don't like it," Buffy said.

"You have a license to kill, Buffy. You can kill any demon on the planet and the Council will pat you on the head, give you a cookie and say good job. You think that thinking of yourself as a cop will give you even more of a blank check than that?" Xander asked.

"Yes….no….I don't know," she said.

Xander put his arm around her, "I'm using the cop as an analogy for a reason, it's because they have limits, at least here in America. There are a lot of peaceful demons out there that just want to live their lives and they are DOG meat among other demons, and they need protection from the bad element," Xander said.

"Good demons?" Buffy asked.

"Neutral, like most people, but they are innocent and they just try to keep their heads down. You can make them your friend and then you get intelligence about the bad stuff. They hear things humans can't and you're helping decent folk," Xander said.

"Does Giles know about this?" Buffy asked.

"No, but I need to talk to him about it, tonight was rather spontaneous," Xander said.

"I'd prefer you spontaneously kiss me," she said.

"I think that can be arranged," he said smiling and leaned toward her when he heard a voice.

"HI guys!" Dawn said, she was dressed in pjs and smiling.

"What are you doing here?" Buffy asked.

"Looks like trying to get herself grounded until she's thirty," Xander growled.

"What? I'm helping," Dawn said innocently.

"No, you aren't, Dawnie. You're being stupid and could get yourself killed," Buffy said.

"Not impressed Dawn Patrol. You just BLEW it big time. Buffy, would you do the honors, I would but I've shy an arm," Xander said and Buffy picked up her sister in a fireman's carry.

"You are in SO much trouble, young lady," Buffy said.

"And I thought sneaking out was a teenage thing," Xander said.

"I wanted to see one," Dawn squealed as they changed direction and headed to Buffy's house.

"No, Dawn you don't, not for a long while yet. Trust me," Xander said already considering making a call to LA.

"I can't believe you'd be this stupid Dawn," Buffy said.

"I can, she pulled this when she found out the first time. Dawnie is naturally curious. A trait she puts to better uses in the future. I'm sorry, I should've thought about her sneaking out while we could've stopped her," Xander said, angry with himself. He'd have killed himself if anything had happened to Dawn. Right now he was just glad that she was safe.

"Don't defend her," Buffy said, "And don't take her sins on yourself either, you aren't Christ."

"I'm not, I'm just freaked, if anything had happened to her…" Xander trailed off.

"Well don't, this is on her," Buffy said.

"She needs to see it, Buffy. How dangerous they can be; that they aren't Edward Cullen and she's not Bella," Xander said.

"Who?"

"Twilight….which hasn't been published yet," Xander said sighing.

"What is it about?" Buffy asked.

"You'll laugh," Xander said.

"I will?" Buffy asked.

"Yup...you laughed for a week straight after you read the first book," Xander said.

"You gotta tell me," Buffy said.

"Keep in mind that I was long suffering that October, we had twenty-five teenaged girls in the house at the time and they didn't see the humor."

"You better spill or I'll make you carry this," Buffy said pointing her thumb to Dawn.

"Please?" Dawn asked.

"Bad idea, Buffy. I think she'd like that," Xander said.

"So spill," Buffy said.

"It's a book about Vampires," Xander said.

"Not seeing the humor here, Xand," Buffy said.

"Sparkly vampires," Xander said and Buffy snorted out a chuckle.

"Sparkly vampires?" Buffy said between giggles.

"I kid you not. To make it worse it's a teenage romance novel," Xander said.

Buffy's giggling got worse, "Sparkly vampires in love?"

"Yeah...now feel my pain, twenty-five teenaged girls going gaga over the lead character who is the biggest ponce in the history of literature," Xander said.

"And I just laughed, right?" Buffy asked.

"You weren't the most beloved figure in the school that month. Me hating it, the girls could just chalk up to my estrogen deficiency. You, I think they felt betrayed," Xander said as they arrived at the Summers House.

"So do we mock Dracula?" Buffy asked.

Xander darkened and said, "No, we never mock the Dark Prince."

"You must like Dracula movies," Buffy said smiling at him.

"No, hate them. They are mockeries of the Dark Prince," Xander said.

"He's real?" Buffy asked.

"Yes he's real and he made me his butt monkey," Xander said bitterly as Buffy almost dropped Dawn in peals of laughter. "Not a word to Jesse."

After Dawn was sent to her room with the exact length of her grounding yet to be determined, Buffy, Joyce and Xander went into the kitchen.

"What am I going to do with her?" Joyce asked.

"I'm sorry, I should've remembered this," Xander said, sounding despondent.

"What?" Buffy asked.

"She did something similar when she found out the first time around, she was a bit older and I didn't think. I'm really sorry," Xander said.

"You are something else, you know that?"

"Yeah, I feel terrible," Xander said hanging his head.

"I don't believe this, my sister does something INCREDIBLY stupid and dangerous and you blame yourself for it?" Buffy asked.

"She's ten, Buffy, I'm twenty five! I should've known better and warned both of you," Xander said.

"I'm forty, Xander and I'm her mother, if anyone should be feeling guilty its me," Joyce said crossing her arms.

"But I've lived this before, hindsight supposed to be twenty/twenty, remember?" Xander said, not ready to be talked out of his mental self-flagellation.

"Good grief, my boyfriend thinks he's Jesus Christ," Buffy said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Xander asked.

"You seem to be perfectly willing to take Dawn's sins onto yourself. Isn't that what Christ was supposed to have done?"

"Boyfriend?" Joyce asked.

"Did I just say that?" Buffy said sheepishly.

"Should we tell her? I can't seem to keep anything underwraps anyway," Xander asked.

"Tell me what?" Joyce asked sounding worried.

"We've got her curiosity up now, Xand," Buffy said with a shrug.

"You want to tell her or should I?" Xander asked.

"One of you better start telling me soon," Joyce said, sounding annoyed.

"I will. Mom, your grandchildren are destined to go into the family business. Saving the world," Buffy said.

"Oh, thank god. I was afraid you were going to tell me that I was going to be a grandmother immediately," Joyce said, sighing in relief.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Summers. Not planning on doing that just yet," Xander said.

"Good, now what about my younger daughter?" she asked.

"I've got a friend who might be able to help with that, actually once he gets me his contact information," Xander said.

"Who?" Buffy asked.

"His name is Angel, he's starting a private investigation company in LA, to help with the weirder things," Xander said.

"So he knows about the things that go bump in the night?" Joyce asked.

"He IS something that goes bump in the night. He's a vampire, cursed with a soul and on a big redemption kick after spending most of the century living off of rats and living in alleys," Xander said.

"A vampire?" Buffy asked.

"He's good people. Too much hair gel and he'd win the gold medal in brooding, but his heart is in the right place," Xander said getting a bit wigged at defending ANGEL to Buffy.

"You trust him?" she asked.

"With your and Dawn's lives if it came to it," Xander said.

"But not yours?" Joyce asked.

"Oh I'd trust him with mine too, but you're daughters' lives are far more precious to me than my own," Xander said sincerely earning an approving nod from Joyce.

"So your plan is to give her what she wants?" Buffy asked.

"Yup, Angel can play the bad guy very well and she needs to be scared straight," Xander said.

"So you are planning on having Angel pretend to kidnap her and that will show her that this is dangerous?" Joyce asked, not sounding like a huge fan of the plan.

"It's better than her getting hurt for real, and if she continues sneaking out, it will happen and she's not old enough to patrol with us," Xander said.

"I need to think about it," Joyce said.

"Not a problem, I don't have his contact information yet anyway. You have the final say, of course," Xander said.

Xander woke with a crick in his neck. He was developing a habit of crashing at Buffy's house and while he kinda liked the idea, the temptations were too strong to keep doing it. He rolled his neck and moved to start his push ups when his shoulder forcibly reminded him that he wasn't at a hundred percent yet.

He sighed and looked at the clock, it was six and the sun was just coming up. He heard the shower running and wondered how he was going to take one with all of his clothes at the distillery his parents called home. He might have to resign himself to having clothes over here if Buffy had anything to say about it, and that wasn't a good idea because it would make staying here even easier until he had de facto moved in.

He sighed and started pacing since he couldn't do push ups. He still had planning to do. He didn't know the demons in town in the here and now and he needed to know if any of the peaceful species were in town. He sighed again and grabbed his bag and pulled out his notebook and checked over his list and added finding the peaceful demons to it.

He was itching to get to training again and he also needed to talk to Buffy and Joyce about starting working with Dawn as well. A carrot to go with the stick so to speak. He then heard the shower go off and tested his shoulder a bit, it still ached like a son of a bitch but he didn't think some cooking motions would set back his recovery. Besides he felt the need for some penance and cooking breakfast for his adoptive mother and two of his girls was as good a place as any to start.

He went into the kitchen and got the eggs and bacon and sausage out. Timing was everything for breakfast for everything to be at its best and he started the sausage first then got to cracking eggs and started beating them as the sausage cooked, he added a bit of milk to the eggs. He was disappointed to find only margarine in the fridge and shook his head and made a face. He'd have to correct THIS soon. Margarine, for crying out loud. Heathen women. The eggs wouldn't be up to his exacting standards without it, but there was nothing for it. Then he started smelling the sausage and knew instantly it was missing something and went to the spice rack and found the sage and lightly dusted the meat with it.

Then he started the bacon and placed a pinch of salt and pepper into the eggs and mixed it well. He flipped the sausage and started the eggs as Buffy came down.

"Wow...that smells really good, Mom," she said as she walked into the kitchen.

"Thanks, but I'm not as good looking as your Mom, Buff," Xander said with a grin.

"Xander? You cook?" Buffy asked.

"Yes I do. It's become something of a birthday tradition up time with the girls. They LOVE my breakfasts and beg me to cook all the time," Xander said as Dawn came down and smiled as she saw the spread Xander was preparing.

"Sorry Dawn Patrol, you get cereal after that little stunt you pulled last night," Xander said in his best drill sergeant voice and the ten year old wilted.

"Still mad at me?" Dawn asked throwing puppy eyes.

"Furious would be a better term, young lady. You do realize you could've been killed right?" Xander said. He'd been too busy beating up himself last night to get into last night's lecture.

"I just wanted to see," she said, sounding a bit more contrite then she had with her sister or mother the previous night.

"Yeah, well you're too young to see it. Your mother's too young to see it. It's dark and it's ugly and I wish it didn't exist. But it does and your sister has to fight it. She can't do that worrying about you. How would you feel if Buffy got hurt because she was too busy worrying about you?" Xander said he'd never raised his voice, didn't swear or cuss but his tone had been enough to reduce the young girl to tears.

"You're mean!" she shrieked.

"I don't want to be mean, but I will be if it keeps you alive. I wasn't lying yesterday about loving you Dawn and it would KILL me if you got hurt or worse and you don't have the right to inflict that on me. Are we clear?" Xander asked.

Dawn sniffled and nodded mutely while Buffy looked in awe.

"I didn't hear you, are we clear?" Xander said in that same tone.

"Yes, sir," Dawn said meekly.

"Still didn't hear you," Xander said.

"Yes, sir," Dawn said louder.

"Better, and don't Sir me, I work for a living. Now come here and give me a hug," Xander said returning to his normal voice and Dawn went over and hugged him tight while Joyce nodded in approval from the doorway of the kitchen.

Buffy and Xander were walking to his house so he could get a change of clothes before school.

"Where'd you learn that?" Buffy asked.

"Survival, my parent's aren't much on the taking care of me thing after all," Xander said.

"Not that, the thing with Dawn. You got through to her where Mom and I couldn't," Buffy said, still in awe.

"Soldier guy's memories," Xander said.

"Soldier guy?" Buffy asked.

"Next Halloween a chaos mage changed everyone who bought a costume at his place into their costumes. I went as a soldier, retained his skills. It's been honed in dealing with mini-Slayers," Xander said as they arrived at his house. He went to his bedroom window and crawled in and two minutes later came out with a gym bag.

"You should just bring some clothes over you know," Buffy said.

"Can't, it'd make it too easy," Xander said.

"Make what too easy?"

"Staying at your house," Xander said.

"And that would be.." Buffy started.

"Premature," Xander finished for her.

"Ah...can't take advantage of me, huh?" Buffy asked.

"It's more than that. I want you to be SURE when we take that step. I've got some experience in what can go wrong when you go off half cocked," Xander said.

"You do?" Buffy asked, sounding a bit jealous.

"I am twenty-five, Buffy. This body has never had sex before, but the mind inside it has," Xander said.

"Do you mind me asking about your first time?" Buffy asked.

"Not at all, though I wish it had been different," Xander said sighing at the memory.

"I assume it wasn't with me," Buffy said sadly.

"No, it wasn't," Xander said looking down.

"Who? Willow?" Buffy asked.

"No, it was Faith. I was eighteen, it was senior year, I had just saved her life," Xander said.

"And she was grateful?" Buffy asked.

"No, she was horny and I was handy," Xander said a hint of bitterness in his voice.

"Oh...I'm sorry Xander," Buffy said.

"Wait before you say that. After we were finished I was looking forward to getting to know her after...getting to know her she had other plans. She threw my ass out in my boxers," Xander said.

"Why?" Buffy asked.

"At the time she saw guys as disposable douchebags, good for only scratching an itch," Xander said as they approached the school.

"And she lives with us?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, she's better now. Still has attachment issues, but she's better," Xander said, leaving out the homicidal side of the equation. It was bad enough that Buffy thought her future sister Slayer was a slut, but she'd think that five seconds after meeting Faith, so no real damage done.

"You want to help her, don't you?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, for better or worse she's my friend and as much your sister as Dawn is," Xander said.

"Really?" Buffy asked.

""Really, now I've got to hit the showers, I'll see you later, ok?"

"Ok, love you," she said, kissing him.

"Love you, too, Buff," he said with a grin.

Xander went to the Library after his shower and sat at the table with his notebook. Giles was there and came over to him.

"How are you doing, Xander?" Giles asked.

"Been better, G Man. Dawn tried to follow me and Buffy last night, I ended up crashing at her house again," Xander said.

"And you are worried that you'll give into temptation?" Giles asked.

"Yeah, when it happens...I want her first time to special. In my memories her first time didn't go so well," Xander said.

"That is usually true about such matters," Giles said.

"Yeah, but getting kicked out in your boxers is a bit different than your lover losing his soul and trying to end the world," Xander said.

"Well….yes that is rather bad, indeed. On the plus side, the bar is set rather low on improving on that," Giles said.

"I don't want it to be just better than Angel, Giles I want it...you're pulling my chain, aren't you?" Xander said.

"Yes, and you fell for it hook, line, and sinker. Xander, it's good that you are concerned about it, it really is, but don't let it get in the way of the fun of being in love, or you might do worse than you fear," Giles said.

Xander thought about what Giles said and nodded, "Thanks, G man."

"You are quite welcome, though I would appreciate it if you wouldn't call me that," Giles said.

"Sorry, Giles, but you had nine years to get me to stop in my memories and you failed. Anyway, I wanted your opinion on Dawn," Xander said.

"Whatever for, I would think her mother would be the person to discuss her with," Giles said.

"I have I just wanted your opinion. I hope it's not needed, but she can be stubborn," Xander said.

"Well, what is your idea?" Giles asked.

"Angel. He's a vampire that has been cursed with a soul. In my memories he was in town," Xander said leaning back..

"A vampire? With a soul? Intriguing," Giles said rubbing his chin.

"Yeah, not so much, seems the cures comes with escape clause," Xander said sounding annoyed.

"Who would be foolish enough to place a soul into a vampire only to leave a possibility of it being broken?" Giles asked, sounding disturbed.

"Those wacky gypsies!" Xander said.

"Foolish is more like it, what were they thinking? What is the method of him losing his soul?"

"A moment of true happiness. In Angel's case that was deflowering Buffy," Xander said tonelessly.

"How do you feel about that?" Giles asked.

"I don't like it, good grief, it was seven years ago and they aren't still mooning over each other, but…." Xander trailed off.

"You wish it hadn't happened," Giles said.

"Buffy deserves better than her first time to be with someone who loses his soul and tries to kill all of her friends," Xander said.

"And it won't be that way this time Xander. As I haven't ever seen or heard of Angel other from you it seems he isn't here this time," Giles said.

"Yeah, that's because I paid him a visit my first day here. Told him everything. He chose redemption. Guess Buffy was right about him after all," Xander said.

"You had doubts?" Giles asked.

"There is a prophecy in some book that says that Buffy will be killed by the Master. Angel gave up on her, but I didn't. I had to force him to take me down there. She was face down in a pool of water when we found her. I did CPR and revived her. Still don't know why Angel didn't do it himself though. Said some crap about not having breath, but he talks which means while his lungs don't extract oxygen, but they would be able to force air into hers," Xander said.

"Maybe in some small way he knew you were meant to be together," GIles said.

"If that was it it was buried kinda deep considered what happened, but that was as much on Buffy as him. Its not like she's a wilting flower afterall," Xander said.

"True enough, so your plan if Dawn doesn't learn her lesson is to have Angel scare her straight?" Giles asked.

"Yeah, plan of last resort though, Buffy and Joyce aren't happy about it," Xander said abesntly.

"Joyce?" Giles asked.

"Buffy's mom. I stopped calling her Mrs. Summers a long time ago, and using her first name was better than calling her Mom," Xander said.

"You were close to Buffy's mother in your memories?" GIles asked.

"Very, she was Willow's and mine adoptive mother in every sense but the legal," Xander said glad for the time that he didn't have to think about what he was talking about. Even with the previous nights disclosure, he still had to be careful around Buffy. The warning bell then rang.

"Time for class, I'll see you later G Man," Xander said.

"Have a good day, Xander," Giles said to him

It was all Xander could do not to bust out laughing when Buffy misinterpreted Willows sniffing him with a guess of B.O. She'd gotten the first two right. Then the bell rang and Dr. Gregory proved he wasn't an idiot by calling out Willow's help. Of course Buffy leaning over to see around him probably tipped him off. He asked Buffy to stay after class and Xander became uneasy. There was something about this that was triggering alarm bells in his head and he never ignored his instincts, they'd saved his life far too many times, but why would Buffy being asked to stay after class trigger them?

He thought hard and realized he didn't know much about Dr. Gregory and that he'd died...right around now. What had killed him?

"Xander? You ok bro?" Jesse asked. Both him and Willow were looking at him concerned.

"There is something bad coming," Xander said frowning.

"Bad?" Willow asked.

"Dr. Gregory is going to be killed," Xander said.

"What? Who would want to hurt Dr. Gregory?" Willow asked.

"What happens?" Jesse said at the same time Willow asked her question.

"I don't remember all I know is that he was found dead at school," Xander said, rubbing his head.

"Hey, what's with the glum?" Buffy asked seeming pretty happy for being kept after class. She kissed Xander's cheek.

"Dr. Gregory is going to be killed soon, Buffy," Xander said, softly.

"How?" Buffy asked, her voice promising pain to whatever was going to off her new favorite teacher.

"I wish I knew, I'm sorry Buffy," Xander said.

"You remember something, right?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, but it's pretty vague, after all after nine years, as horrible as it is, it kinda gets mixed up in the everyday weirdness that high school was for me," Xander said and Buffy's face fell. "Hey, if it wasn't for you I wouldn't have survived High School, so don't look guilty."

Buffy looked up at him, "But knowing me puts all of you in danger, and I'm not strong enough to push any of you away."

"That's nonsense and you know it. Living on the Hellmouth puts us in danger, not you," Xander said hugging her close.

"_Je t'amie,_" she said as she settled into the hug.

"_Je t'amie trop, ma __moitié_," Xander said softly and chuckled when Jesse and Willow looked at each other and shrugged. "I was in Africa for a year looking for newly called Slayers. Picked it up there."

"Africa?" Willow asked.

"Don't ask, he gets sullen and won't talk about it," Buffy said.

"That bad?" Jesse asked.

"Later, right now we have to focus on keeping Dr. Gregory alive," Xander said.

"Of course," Willow said wistfully.

"Any leads?" Buffy asked taking Xander's hand.

"He was found at school, so he was probably killed here," Xander said.

"Who replaced him?" Jesse asked.

Xander froze…"Oh god...how could I have forgotten!"

"What is it?" Buffy asked.

"Miss French, she replaced him as a substitute, only she wasn't human. She was a giant praying mantis," Xander said blanching.

"Xander, you're scaring me, you don't get worked up like this over vampires just how bad is this?" Buffy asked.

"Actually, not that bad, you can totally kick her ass, Buff. Its...it just wasn't a fun episode for me."

"What happened?" Willow asked.

"I wouldn't talk about this, but...Jesse, if we don't stop her when she goes after Dr. Gregory, stay away from her, promise me," Xander said.

"Why?"

"She's here looking for boyfriends, do you know what a praying mantis does after she's finished mating?" Xander asked.

"No, not really," Jesse said.

"They eat the male, starting with his head," Xander said and Jesse paled.

"Ok,..no hanging out with Miss French," Jesse said.

"Just remember that, she oozes sex man, even KNOWING what she was and what would happen there was a part of me that was still tempted, granted it was just ten percent with the other ninety being sheer terror but still, I should've been one hundred percent sheer terror. Don't underestimate her, especially when she looks human. Its a nice package and the pheromones will make resisting her nearly impossible," Xander said.

"So she tried to...mate with you?" Buffy asked scrunching up her face.

"You saved me, Buffy. Thought I have to say that compared to what she would've done to me, Faith was downright romantic," Xander said getting Buffy to laugh.

"We'll watch Dr. Gregory until she makes a move," Buffy said.

Jesse looked at Xander and at Buffy then back to Xander, "So this is the same Faith that was convinced that you and Buffy were...in the future?" he asked.

"One and the same, and you aren't getting the rest of this story unless I'm well gone and drunk. Right up there with my trip across America that ended in Oxnard," Xander said.

"We better get to class," Willow said looking uncomfortable about what she'd learned about her best friend.

Xander, Jesse, Willow and Buffy went to Dr. Gregory's classroom after class heard him cleaning up. Xander peeked around the corner and saw he was alone.

"So how long do we wait?" Jesse asked.

"Dunno, its not like I was there when he was killed, even at sixteen I had standards. Not many, but I had them," Xander said.

"Lemme guess, seeing the hot new sub beheading the old teacher would've put her off the dating list?" Jesse asked.

"Oh yeah," Xander said.

"Nice to know there are somethings that are a turnoff for you," Jesse said.

"What are you dweebs doing out here?" Cordelia asked as she came around the corner.

"Cordelia, just what we don't need," Xander said.

"She is an extra pair of eyes, Xander," Jesse said not QUITE drooling.

"Why would you need more eyes? Its not like you're here to steal a test or something. Willow's not cool enough to be part of that. She actually LIKES school, so what is going on?" Cordelia asked.

"Well...Buffy…" Jesse started then stopped as Xander slapped a hand over Jesse's mouth.

"Was just working up the courage to ask Dr. Gregory for some extra credit work to get her grade up. Isn't that right, Buffy?" Xander said.

"Yup...real nervous about that extra credit," Buffy said, squeezing Xander's hand.

"Whatever, just do the world a favor and DON'T breed," she said as she saw Xander and Buffy holding hands

"Hey, I think Xander's and Buffy's kids would be cute!" Willow said.

"You are defending this? I thought you were pathetically in love with the dufus," Cordelia said.

"They are happy, they are my friends," Willow said.

"Right...like that isn't awkward unless...ewww...you and Jesse? Please, I beg you….all four of you! Never breed," she said as she walked away.

"Wow….she's sure got procreation on the mind," Xander said.

"Sorry guys, she just can't resist my manly physique. She hides it well though," Jesse said.

"Jesse, I dated Cordy in the previous timeline, trust me that isn't her, 'You make me so hot' look," Xander said, eliciting whimpers from both Willow and Buffy.

"I think you just stepped in it, man and you GOTTA tell me how!" Jesse begged.

"Just a moment, bro," Xander said and kissed Buffy's pout. "Of all the lips I have ever kissed, yours are the best."

"Awww…" Willow said as Buffy blushed.

"Ladies, if you will excuse me, I need some guy time with my brother here," Xander said, then saw her come down the hall. "Or not, bug lady at twelve o clock."

"It's a quarter to four, bro," Jesse said.

"I meant straight ahead!" Xander said.

"Oh...wow...she's...wow…" Jesse said.

"I know, Buffy go kill her before I say something that will make you want to hurt me," Xander said.

"You say the sweetest things," Buffy said and headed towards Dr. Gregory's classroom.

Xander followed watched as Buffy flew into action just before Miss French could kill Dr. Gregory. The beastie in the guise of a beautiful woman backhanded the Slayer to the floor. Xander winced, it was an amature move on Buffy's part and one he didn't associate with her. In fact if one of the girls up time did something similar she'd have been on latrine duty for a week. Part of him worried that Buffy was actually hurt until she got up.

"Ok, you try to eat my boyfriend in another timeline, kill my favorite teacher in same said timeline and now you made me break a NAIL! You are SO going to die!" Buffy said as she went at Miss French.

Xander shook his head. Leave it to Buffy to get that pissed off over a broken nail. Or maybe she was just quipping. It was hard to tell sometimes. He grabbed Dr. Gregory and pulled him out of the classroom as Miss French shed her disguise to fight better. Willow and Jesse paled when they saw the mantis.

"Run, Doc, let us professionals deal with you're mantis infestation," Xander said and the science teacher nodded and took off down the hall.

"Xander! You never said she was EIGHT feet long!?" Buffy shrieked.

"Get her to follow you Buffy! We'll lead her to the Library," Xander ordered.

"Right!"

"Jesse, Willow! Get to the library and get the weapons out, we'll need them. Preferably the pikes," Xander said.

"And just how is a fish gonna help?" Jesse asked.

Xander stared at his friend and realized he hadn't taught them anything yet, he was used to dealing with people that KNEW what weapons were what.

"Its ok, Xander I know what you're talking about!" Willow said and dragged Jesse behind her.

"Xander! She's got the door blocked!" Buffy shouted.

"Coming, sweetheart!" he called out sweetly earning a growl from Buffy. He stood outside the class and waved his arms. "Yoo hoo, Miss French! I have to say you were the WORST kisser I ever had the displeasure of locking lips with, and I've kissed some weird things over the years."

The mantis turned and looked at him and made a horrible noise and started charging him.

"Gee, Xander, I think you hurt her feelings," Buffy said coming out of the classroom, sliding under the big bug and coming up to her feet next to Xander.

"Time to run," Xander said.

"Agreed!" Buffy said and the pair ran for the library. As they ran through the halls they past Cordelia.

"He wants you to dissect something, doesn't he Buffy!?" Cordelia said stepping into the hallway.

"Cordy! Less talking more running!" Xander cried out.

"Run? From what?" she said turning around to stalk off only to see the mantis rounding the corner. She screamed and joined Xander and Buffy in their retreat. "What is it with things wanting to eat me when you people are around?"

"No time!" Buffy shouted.

"What IS that thing!" Cordelia asked as they ran from the mantis.

"Ex Girlfriend. She's not happy I'm dating Buffy now," Xander said, forgetting to censor himself.

"Oh please Harris, I'd have known if you ever had a date in your pathetic life, even with a big bug monster!" Cordelia said as they approached the library.

"Not now Cordy!" Xander said.

"You really did date her, didn't you?" Buffy asked.

"AS IF! Xander Harris if you've been spreading that around school you are SO dead!" Cordelia shouted.

"It was another life!" Xander said as they hit the library doors. Xander wished his shoulder was better so he could help, but undoing his progress in healing wouldn't help anyone.

"Buffy!" Giles called out tossing her a pike.

"Thanks Giles!" Buffy said taking up a guard stance at the door. The mantis crashed through the door and impaled itself on the pike's spike. Buffy pulled out the spike and twirled bringing the axe head down taking the mantis' head off. The body then collapsed.

"I would axe for an encore, Buffy, but we're fresh out of bug people," Xander said to the groans of the room.

"I am so out of here," Cordelia said and headed out of the library as Dawn and Joyce came in.

"Wow! COOL!" Dawn said seeing the dead mantis.

"Buffy?"

"Don't look at me, its Xander's ex," Cordelia told Joyce.

"Xander?" Joyce asked.

"Long story Mrs. Summers," Xander said with a grin on his face.

"I'm sure it is and you can share it while we clean up this mess," Giles said.

"No mops for me, I'm still healing," Xander said his grin getting wider.

"If you want smoochies later, you won't rub it in," Buffy warned.

"Shutting up now," Xander said as Jesse and Willow shook their heads.

"Is this what the rest of high school is going to be like?" Jesse asked.

"Nah...sometimes its gets freaky," Xander said.

"Great," Jesse said as he started to help.

Buffy and Giles were out burning the remains of the mantis and the floor was already clean.

"Ok, Cordelia, how?" Jesse asked sitting next to his friend.

"You want to get with Cordy? Its simple. Just get trapped in Buffy's basement by a bug guy, say you hate her, have her tell you she hates you then find yourselves in an inexplicable lip lock," Xander told his friend.

"When was this Xander?" Joyce asked.

"About a year from now….I think," Xander said.

"So some crazed exterminator was trying to kill you and Cordelia?" Jesse asked.

"No, he was a guy made of bugs, little worm like things," Xander said and was rewarded with looks of disgust on his audience's faces.

"Why would something like that want to hurt either of you?" Joyce asked.

"He was actually after Buffy. He was an assasin a member of the Order of Taraka I think," Xander said.

"An assassin?" Joyce asked.

"All the cool things happen to Buffy," Dawn said. Still angry about being grounded.

"It was NOT cool, Dawnster. It was icky and scary, and that was just the kissing of Cordelia. The bug guy was pretty gross too," Xander said getting the ten year old to laugh.

"Bug guy?" Buffy asked as she came in.

"Xander was telling me how to get Cordelia to go out with me. It sounds like a lot of work actually," Jesse said causing Xander to laugh.

"That's one way to put it, buddy," he said.

"Do I want to hear this story?" Buffy asked sitting next to Xander taking his hand..

"Probably not," Xander said kissing her.

"EWWWW!" Dawn said.

The next few days were pretty peaceful, by Sunnydale standards and Xander found that many of his plans required a positive cash flow. Money had always been tight, even up time and Xander wondered about how to solve that problem. Being only sixteen many of the jobs he could think that he'd like to have wouldn't touch him with a ten foot pole, not that he had much time anyway, not that he could work with his shoulder anyway. Jesse and Buffy had gone to the video store for movie night and he and Willow were at Buffy's house.

"What are you working on?" Willow asked.

"Plans for the future," Xander said, distracted.

"What kind of plans?" Willow asked.

"Hmmmm….plans to make saving the world easier," Xander said, as he continued writing.

"We're supposed to be having fun," Willow said disapprovingly.

"Huh?" Xander said and really looked at his friend for the first time since he'd arrived. "I'm sorry Wills, I'm just not sure where I'm going to get the money I need for a quarter of what I'd like to do. The council's resources aren't limitless, even if they like to pretend they are."

"And you don't trust them," Willow said.

"True. I don't and would like to get Buffy completely out from under their thumb, but going to war with them will take money and we aren't ready yet. No where near it," Xander said and sighed. Rubbing his temples.

"Let me help, this is obviously driving you crazy," Willow said taking his note pad. She looked it over a bit while Xander flopped back boneless into the couch.

"Wow...that is a lot of money. Name off the three biggest companies in the world," Willow asked.

"Google, Apple and Microsoft," Xander said in quick response.

"Apple and Microsoft I've heard of, but what's Google?" Willow asked.

"You've got a computer, google it," Xander said tiredly.

"What?" she asked.

"Huh? You know...google it," Xander said and realized what he just said. "Oh god...I live in the freaking Stone Age! No Google, no Netflix, no YouTube, no Pandora...the list is endless."

Willow was busy writing down the names he was mentioning as she figured they'd be worth watching as potential investments.

"Sounds like we've got a lot to look forward too," Willow said.

"You don't know the half of it. Itunes...blessed be Steve Jobs," Xander said sighing.

"And I thought I was the technophile here," Willow said grinning.

"I'm a boy of the Twenty-First century, Willow and I miss my toys," Xander said as Buffy and Jesse returned.

"How was the trip to the mark of the Dark Ages, the video store?" Xander asked mournfully.

"What's with him?" Buffy asked.

"He's missing his toys from the future," Willow said.

"Aww...poor baby," Buffy said giving him a kiss.

"You know, I think there are maybe four things one of your kisses can't fix," Xander said smiling at her.

"Feeling better?" she asked with a grin.

"Get a ROOM!" Dawn complained as she came downstairs and went into the kitchen.

"What did you get?" Willow asked.

"Interview with a Vampire," Buffy said thumbing to Jesse when Xander grimaced, "Only You, and Lion King," Buffy said.

"Only You?" Xander asked.

"Some chick flick, your girlfriend insisted," Jesse said sticking his tounge out at Buffy who returned the display of immaturity adding in a raspberry.

"Ah! Raspberry! Only one man would dare give me Raspberry!" Jesse said.

"LONE STAR!" Xander and Jesse said together causing the girls to laugh.

"Lets go pop some corn, even this benighted age has microwaves," Xander said with a smirk and he and Jesse went into the kitchen.

"Still green, you'd think that an Angel capable of slamming me back in my sixteen year old body would've given thought to making sure I avoided food poisoning. Maybe get us Gordon Ramsay as a school cook?" Xander complained.

"Xander!" Buffy said exclaimed at Xander's cavalier conversation.

"Sunnydale effect meet Buffy," Xander said motioning to a empty chair, "Buffy I'd like you to meet my very good friend the Sunnydale effect."

"Nice to meet you, Mr….Effect," Buffy said looking at her boyfriend like he'd just grown antlers. "What are you going on about, Xander?"

"Simple people in this town Don't Want to Know. So they don't. We think its actually more an effect of the Hellmouth. We saw the same thing in Cleveland," Xander said.

"Interesting. Oh! Willow! Look who's sitting alone?" Buffy said suddenly changing the subject.

"Who? He looks familiar but I can't place him," Xander said, bugged by this. When he'd been sixteen he'd know almost every student by name, but except for the ones that lived to graduation he couldn't remember them.

"Owen Thurman? He always sits alone," Willow said shrugging.

"He reads, poetry. Emily Dickins or something," Buffy said.

"Dickinson," Willow and Xander said at the sametime causing Willow to look at her best freind as Jesse came to their table with his tray.

"Mini slayer tutor, remember," Xander said.

"That is still such a weird concept, now Willow, Owen's lonely over there, he needs company. Someone who has read Emily Dickinson," Buffy said.

"What is this green stuff?" Jesse asked.

"It is so good to have a guy in the group," Xander said and the two freinds fist bumped.

"What brought that on?" Jesse asked.

"Buffy is trying to fix Willow up with the Lone Reader over there," Xander said.

"Hey, I think they'd be cute together," Buffy said.

Xander shrugged, "Maybe, remember I have a hand's off policy on all romantic interests except Buffy's, where I have a very hands on policy." He grinned and started tickling Buffy.

"Stop it!" Buffy said laughing.

"You love it," he said.

"Ah..rats," Buffy said.

"What?"

"Cordelia," Buffy said.

"Oh...well he'll probably like her better anyway," Willow said, softly.

"Hey, no glum face. You are a great catch, if Owen wants Cordy at this point in her life than he's a loser and you don't need him. If you want to see what might happen you WILL need to take action. If not just stare at the toxic waste they call lunch around here. Either way I'll support you," Xander said and hugged Willow.

"Thanks Xander, that helps.

"So, how did Buffy's night go?" Jesse asked, sounding a bit uncomfortable in the middle of the Dr. Phil moment. Not that he knew who Dr. Phil was.

"Not much, Giles got on to me about my technique, thinks I waste too much energy," Buffy said.

"He's right, the longer a fight goes on the more likely you are to get hurt, and I for one am pro anything that keeps you from being hurt," Xander said stopping the daggers in Buffy's eyes just as they were being born.

"Yeah, but this vampire and a ring on him. Order of Aurelius. Giles seemed freaked by it.

"That's never good," Xander said.

"Yeah," Buffy said and frowned.

Later Xander was with Buffy at her locker when Owen came up. He looked nervous and seemed to be working up the courage to say something and he finally spoke, "So, Buffy, were you planning on being at the Bronze tonight?"

"Hadn't really thought about it, Owen," Buffy said, conversationally. Xander waited for a pang of jealously as the boy asked Buffy out, and realized there wasn't one. He was completely secure in his relationship with Buffy. He hadn't even had that with Anya

"Mumphf," Xander let out.

"What, Xander?" Buffy asked looking at him.

"Just realized something, I'll tell you about it later," Xander said.

"Ok," Buffy said facing him.

"Yeah, its ok, Buffy. I see that you're with Xander," Owen said sounding like a kicked puppy and started off.

"Owen wait!" Buffy called after him.

"What?" he asked.

"We've got a friend that I think you'd have a lot in common with, we can make sure she's there and you might hit it off with her," Buffy said and Xander rolled his eyes. This was a bad idea.

"Who's your friend?"

"Willow," Buffy said.

"Willow Rosenburg?" Owen asked.

"Are there any other Willows at Sunnydale High?" Buffy asked.

"Willow?" Owen said with a puzzled look on his face.

"There's nothing wrong with Willow, is there?" Buffy asked.

"Well...no...but I didn't think she was interested in dating. Kinda heavy on the learning, you know?" Owen said.

"She is a brain, but she's SO ready to start dating," Buffy said.

"Sweetie, don't you think you need to discuss this with Willow before you set this up?" Xander whispered in Buffy's ear and fought a grin and he felt her shiver.

"Well...if you think so. I'll see the three of you a say seven?" Owen asked.

"We'll be there!" Buffy said smiling. As soon as soon as Owen's back was turned Xander facepalmed.

"What?" Buffy asked.

"Is this really a good idea?" Xander asked.

"Is what a good idea?" Buffy asked.

"Playing matchmaker," Xander said as they started walking.

"Why wouldn't it be a good idea. Willow needs someone, and Owen's nice, he's booky. I think they'd be cute together," Buffy said.

"Buffy, it's great that you're worried about Willow's happiness, but I have it on good authority that she is and will be happy," Xander said.

"You know, skipping to the end of the story is cheating," Buffy admonished.

"Blame Az for that, sweetheart," he said with a grin.

"You really think its a bad idea?" Buffy asked.

"Actually on the fence on this one. If Willow's comfortable with it I have no problem with it. If she's not...as I said at lunch I'll support whatever she wants to do in dating, but I'm not pushing either," Xander said.

"Is he in your memories?" Buffy asked.

"Not answering that," Xander said.

"Why not?" Buffy asked.

"Cause it'll influence you and you'll influence Owen and Willow without even meaning to. Case in point, what if I said that Owen and Willow were happily married with three kids, what would you do?" Xander asked.

"I dunno, are they?" Buffy asked with hope.

"Not going to say one way or the other, now what if I told you Willow was gay when I died? What would you do?" Xander said.

"I see you're point, but you don't need to be absurd to make it," Buffy said.

"_Je t'amie_," Xander said.

"_Je t'amie, trop,"_ Buffy replied and leaned up for a kiss which he happily granted.

"Now lets find Willow and tell her the good news!" Buffy said and Xander rolled his eyes.

"Owen Thurman wants to meet me at the Bronze?" Willow asked.

"Yes, he's totally into you," Buffy said excited.

"Then why hasn't he said anything to me?" Willow asked, confused.

"Cause, he thought you were too busy with school to be interested in dating. We'll be meeting him at seven. This will be huge!"

"If you say so, but I don't think its that much to get excited about," Willow said, sounding unsure.

"It totally is!" Buffy said and then she saw Giles. "Giles! Tell her its a big deal!"

"Its a big deal, now come with me!" Giles said.

"See, Giles agrees with me," Buffy said.

"Well, you were right after all, Buffy. I'm actually proud that you found the connection," Giles said.

"What are you talking about?" Buffy asked as the three of them entered the Library. Jesse was also there.

"What are you talking about?" Giles asked.

"Boys!" Buffy and Willow chorused.

"I resemble that!" Jesse said and Xander chuckled at his friend and went over to sit next to him.

"Yes, Jesse I'm well aware of that. I however wasn't talking about members of my own gender. I was referring to a great evil rising," Giles said.

"Evil? What the sitch?" Buffy asked.

"The Order of Aurelius. Aurelius himself was a vampire seer of some talent and he foresaw his followers joining the Master and bringing him the Anointed," Giles said.

"Ok, so what happens?" Buffy asked.

"He writes that from the five the Anointed will rise, on the evening of the thousandth day from the Advent of Septus," Giles said.

"That's just under three years from this Advent of Septus, Giles. Why would this prophet use an event so far from his own time to mark from?" Willow asked.

"Its a milestone, Willow. The Advent of Septus did occur and a lot of people died, I've done some calculations and the rising of the Anointed is tonight," Giles said.

"No! It can't be tonight! First Aunt Buffy story happening tonight!" Buffy wailed.

"Aunt Buffy? Kinda jumping the gun a little there, aren't you Buff?" Xander asked.

"More like alot," Willow said.

"Says the guy who's going to be the father of my children so they can save the world," Buffy said with a smirk.

"What?" Willow and Giles said at the same time.

"You told her?" Giles asked.

"I really wasn't doing so great with the secret keeping anyway Giles," Xander said with a shrug.

"Ohhh boy! I get to be Aunt Willow! I have to start shopping!" Willow said.

"Hey, slow down,Wills. Its going to be a couple of years at least," Xander said.

"I would hope so," Giles said.

"So, can I get the kid a Dodge Charger? I'll be Uncle Jesse after all," Jesse said with a grin.

"If you can afford it, I won't stop you," Xander said with a grin.

"You can play matchmaker later, Buffy, tonight is important," Giles said.

"Its ok, Buffy. Jesse and I will be Willow's wingmen," Xander said.

"Dibs on Maverick," Jesse said.

"No, I'm Maverick, you're Maniac. You look more like him anyway," Xander said.

"Oh like you look so much like Mark Hamill," Jesse said.

"Do you have any idea what they are talking about?" Buffy asked Willow.

"Computer game," Willow said.

"Oh," Buffy said.

The three of them arrive at the Bronze just after seven and soon saw Owen and Cordelia was sitting with him, or closer to on him. Willow looked down and frowned.

"Seems like Cordelia has him," she said.

"Au contraire, Willow. That boy about as comfortable with her as Wile E Coyote sitting on a cactus," Xander said knowingly.

"You sure?" Jesse asked.

"Positive," Xander said.

"So what should I do?" Willow asked nervously.

"If you want to see if you and Owen will hit it off, you need to go over there and be somewhat assertive. If that is your plan, I really wish you had let Buffy dress you. If not, we go get drinks and hang like always," Xander said.

"No pressure?" Willow asked.

"None," Xander said.

"Let's go hang, there's no way I can compete with Cordelia," Willow said wistfully.

"Whoa...no one rags on my friends, especially yourself you have as much if not more to offer Owen than Cordelia does," Xander said forcefully.

"I'll go distract her so Willow can swoop in and claim him," Jesse said trying to help.

"Not just yet, buddy. I'm not forcing Willow to do anything if she's actually not interested, but if she'd like to make a play for him I'm not going to let Cordy fear keep her from doing it," Xander said.

"Is he the one?" Willow asked.

"Not answering that, Wills. But you seem to have somethings in common, but its up to you," Xander said.

"Come on, not even a clue?" Willow pouted.

"Will, I've had to endure your pouts my whole life then I had to endure Buffy's and Dawn's pouts. I think I'm immune," Xander said.

"No fair," Willow said.

"I can't become a crutch for you and Buffy, Wills. Now what is it going to be, Sprite and pining for what might have been, or are you going to take a chance?"

"Ok, fine, I'll take a chance," Willow said.

"That's my girl!" Xander said hugging her. "Now Jesse, go left, make a pass at Cordy. I expect you'll flame out, but it'll distract her long enough for Willow to ask Owen to dance. Once you hit the dance floor with him I'll swoop in and make sure Cordy isn't a problem."

"Just watch this, you won't need to do a thing, I'll have her eating out of my hand," Jesse said confidently as he went off.

"Ok, Wills, go!" Xander said as he picked up his grape soda. It would be a shame to waste it like he was planning, but one does sacrifice for one's friends.

Xander watched as his two friends executed his battle plan. Jesse got Cordy's attention and predictably flamed out just as Willow came in from her flanking position and didn't flame out. Owen practically jumped out of his chair for a reason to escape Cordy. Then Xander moved in for the kill. He really hoped that he wouldn't have to resort to the drink, it really was good.

"...so get out of here dweeb!" Cordelia said to Jesse.

"Ooo...dweeb. So harsh Cordelia," Xander said to her.

"Whatever, come on, Owen….Owen?" Cordelia said as she looked around and pure rage twisted her face as she saw Willow and Owen and she started to move toward them but Xander stopped her.

"No, Cordelia, he's been wanting to bail all night, he just didn't have anything better, now he does. Do yourself a favor and stick to the guys who have permanent concussions, you won't bore them to death."

"Now you see here, you cretin. No one tells Cordelia Chase who she can and cannot date," she said.

"Give yourself some credit Cordy, you don't need a trophy boyfriend to be special. Just look inside. There's a human being in there, honest!" Xander said and then walked off giving Willow a thumbs up. Of course this brought up another problem. If Willow was going to hit it off with Owen, eventually Scooby action and Owen action would meet. Then he frowned, why did he suddenly get the feeling that such a meeting would go very badly. He shook his head and turned to see Jesse making another pass only for Cordelia to give him a right cross and storm away.

"Hey buddy, let's go get some ice on that," Xander said to his friend patting him on the back.

An hour later Buffy came in and quickly found Xander and Jesse. "What happened to Jesse?" she asked.

"Took one for the team," Xander said.

"Not quite, buddy, earned this all on my own, Buffy. Though I might say that my distraction went beautifully," Jesse said as they clinked root beer bottles.

"I see it worked," Buffy said eyeing Willow and Owen.

"Just a little, not that she needed much help, though honestly I think Owen would've gone with a gorgon just to get away from Cordy, but don't tell Willow that," Xander said.

"How'd you keep her away from them?" Buffy asked smiling.

"Gave her something to think about," Xander said.

"Glad that this worked so well for Willow," Buffy said and then got a look in her eye and turned to Jesse who suddenly looked very afraid.

"Buffy, no...I'm still trying for Cordelia," Jesse said shaking his head.

"I'm on a roll! Come on what's the worse that could happen?"

"He could almost get eaten, find out the girl is a mummy that needs to leech the water...what? Dating on the Hellmouth is hazardous," he said as Buffy and Jesse stared at him.

"You aren't helping," Buffy said, arms crossed.

"I appreciate the thought, Buffy, I do, but I want to do this on my own," Jesse said.

"Doing it on your own got you a black eye. Who knew Cordelia had a punch like that?" Buffy asked. Xander raised his hand and she swatted his chest. "You don't count."

"_Je t'amie_," Xander said sweetly.

"I love you, too but I AM finding Jesse a girlfriend," Buffy said determination in her voice.

Xander looks over at a smiling Willow as she danced with Owen, he smiled and said, "At least she can sense whether or not they are demons before you date them, buddy."

"Why do I feel like I'm going to regret this?" Jesse asked.

The next week the five of them were at the zoo and Willow, Jesse and Owen found Buffy looking at the elephants. Xander handed her a funnel cake causing Buffy to smile at him.

"Now, what's got you down that it takes funnel cake to make you smile?" Xander asked.

"Yeah, Buffy, you've been kinda glum today," Willow chimed in.

"We just did this at my last school. I mean how many times can you see a bunch of caged animals after all?" Buffy said.

"Sweetheart, we aren't in class, that's a plus," Xander said.

"Says the guy that in the last six weeks has raised his average from a D+ to a solid B and headed to an A," Buffy said.

"Just because I've become good at it doesn't mean I like it," Xander said.

"I for one am glad, you don't hog Willow anymore," Jesse said.

"I never hogged her, besides because of MY girlfreind you now have TWO brains to pick," Xander said grinning at his friend.

"Actually I've got THREE, yours counts now," Jesse said.

"So what happened to get your grades turned around anyway, Xander?" Owen asked.

"Something just clicked, dunno really," Xander said knowing that the group was going to have to talk about Owen soon. He was WAY too smart and while it had only been a week since Buffy had got Willow and Owen together it was looking like a lasting match, if Owen didn't freak when he got involved in Scooby related stuff.

"Hey, isn't that Lance?" Willow asked.

"Yeah, what's he doing with those four?" Jesse asked.

"Nothing good for him no doubt," Xander said heading over to the Hyena House. Alarm bells were going off in his head but he wasn't sure why. Then it clicked. "Oh no." Xander then took off toward the Hyena House at a trot.

"What's with Xander?" Owen asked. "He looks like he's seen a ghost."

"He just….really hates bullies," Willow said quickly as Xander went into the Hyena House.

"Xander! Be careful!" Buffy said and started running to catch up. Xander heard the zookeeper stop her as he went deeper into the enclosure. He saw Kyle, Rhonda, Heidi and Tor pushing Lance around and he saw the circle on the floor and swore.

"Kyle! You guys have to get out of the circle!" Xander said.

"And who's going to make us? You, Harris?" Kyle said.

"Yeah, Harris you aren't so tough without the sociopath you call a girlfriend around," Rhonda said.

Xander took a breath and tried again, "Its dangerous in here, guys. Something really bad is going to happen if you don't get out of here right now!"

"Yeah, something bad is going to happen! To Lance," Tor said and he and Kyle picked up the hapless student and started to dump him over the railing and Xander moved to stop them. As soon as he crossed the circle he felt it. A nightmare from his past returned. It slammed into him and it was there...laughing.


End file.
